manuscript

American  

[man-yuh-skript] / ˈmæn yəˌskrɪpt /

noun

1. the original text of an author's work, handwritten or now usually typed, that is submitted to a publisher.

2. any text not printed.

3. a book or document written before the invention of printing.

4. writing, as distinguished from print.

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adjective

1. handwritten or typed, not professionally printed.

manuscript British  

/ ˈmænjʊˌskrɪpt /

noun

1. a book or other document written by hand

2. the original handwritten or typed version of a book, article, etc, as submitted by an author for publication

3. 1. handwriting, as opposed to printing

   2. ( as modifier )

      a manuscript document

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Other Word Forms

• manuscriptal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of manuscript

1590–1600; < Medieval Latin manūscrīptus written by hand, equivalent to Latin manū by hand (ablative of manus ) + scrīptus written; see script

Explanation

A manuscript is a handwritten work. It's still a manuscript if it's typed — if a publisher asks for your manuscript, don't send her something scrawled on notebook paper! The noun manuscript evolved from the Latin manu scriptus, meaning “written by hand.” Manu is “hand” and scriptus is “to write." It refers to old documents actually written by hand before books were made, but it can also refer to a writer's unpublished work whether it's handwritten or typed. Samuel Johnson said, “Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.” Harrumph!

Example Sentences

In the Rome manuscript, however, the Old English version is woven directly into the main Latin text itself.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

Scholars date the manuscript to between 800 and 830, making it the third oldest surviving copy of the poem ever identified.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2026

These minute works are packed with detail: Their flickering candles, flitting moths and glowering skulls appear as if they’ve been excavated from some illuminated manuscript belonging to a long-vanished medieval sect.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

But novel science still requires human judgment, and any efficiency gains are likely to be offset by the surge in submissions from authors who can now generate a manuscript in minutes.

From Slate • May 3, 2026

“That’s a marvellous place to put a manuscript, I must say.”

From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger

Related Words

• article
• document
• text