playwright

American  

[pley-rahyt] / ˈpleɪˌraɪt /

noun

1. a writer of plays; dramatist.

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playwright British  

/ ˈpleɪˌraɪt /

noun

1. a person who writes plays

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Etymology

Origin of playwright

First recorded in 1680–90; play + wright

Example Sentences

Our critic noted that the playwright “has a gift for blending dark subject matter with offbeat comedy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Hnath is one of the most fiercely imaginative American playwrights at work today.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Kail’s fleet maneuvers keep the production from bogging down without lessening the emotional combustion that is the source of the playwright’s lasting genius.

From Los Angeles Times

The playwright Tom Stoppard was 88 when he died on Nov. 29, but the news came as a shock nonetheless.

From The Wall Street Journal

All seem to use the word differently than in its usual application to novelists, playwrights and raconteurs.

From The Wall Street Journal