manuscript

American  

[man-yuh-skript] / ˈmæn jəˌskrɪpt /

noun

• manuscripts
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• manuscriptal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• manuscripts
  plural

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 It refers to old documents actually written by hand before books were made, but it can also refer to a writer's unpublished work whether it's handwritten or typed.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

See Examples For:

manuscript manuscripts

The manuscript belongs to Barr’s wife, Dava, who now has Alzheimer’s disease and lives in a care facility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

"We tested several passages, from different bits of the manuscript, to come up with the identical result: 100 percent AI," the group said on X.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Did the keepers of Christie’s legacy object to anything in your manuscript?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The manuscript, known as Codex Azcatitlán, has been held in France's Bibliothèque Nationale since 1898, but had already spent decades outside of Mexico before that.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

He stared at the point where Kainene had burned his manuscript and remembered days ago in Nsukka, how he had felt nothing, absolutely nothing, watching Harrison dig and dig in the garden.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

She describes them in two manuscripts, which together comprise the earliest texts known to have been written in English by a woman.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

Recordings, paintings, manuscripts and more reveal how songs in Persian, Urdu, Classical Hindi and Punjabi spread throughout the Mughal Empire and across the network of the East India Company from the 16th century onward.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

The ability to recover substantial genetic information without damaging the parchment could make institutions more comfortable allowing researchers to study valuable manuscripts.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

Speaking ahead of the auction, Will Passey, a specialist in the books and manuscripts department at Sotheby's, said the "moving" letter served as "a testament to the strength" of their friendship.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

That was what Lazlo was doing, his arms full of manuscripts, when he heard the voice.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• article
• document
• text