playwright

American  

[pley-rahyt] / ˈpleɪˌraɪt /

noun

• playwrights
  plural

1. a writer of plays; dramatist.

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playwright British  

/ ˈpleɪˌraɪt /

noun

1. a person who writes plays

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• playwrights
  plural

Etymology

Origin of playwright

First recorded in 1680–90; play + wright

Explanation

A playwright is someone who writes plays. Playwrights are also known as dramatists. Just as a poet writes poems, a playwright writes plays. If the spelling of playwright looks odd, that's because wright is a word for a craftsperson or someone who builds things (like a shipwright builds ships). Given the juggling of characters, scenes, and plots in a play, you can see how writing a play is like building something. The most famous playwright ever in English is William Shakespeare.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

playwright playwrights

It is an adaptation of a play by British playwright James Graham, which ran in the West End and Broadway between 2017 and 2019.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

A playwright friend emailed him when the production was announced with a simple message: “Bart, lighten up!”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

Auden enjoyed collaborations, frequently teaming up with friends, including the playwright and novelist Christopher Isherwood and the poet Louis MacNeice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

Tony Harrison was a poet and playwright born in Leeds in 1937 who was famed for his controversial work.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

Her character is the conscience of the drama, the voice of the playwright.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

There’s a comic trope beloved by playwrights, novelists and screenwriters about the fighters all suited up for battle, only to discover that their adversary refuses to play.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Soon after, wannabe authoritarians attack the comedians, essayists, playwrights and poets.

From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2026

ATG Entertainment said renaming the venue the Tom Stoppard Theatre would be a "lasting tribute... to one of the most influential playwrights in British theatre".

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

The playwrights of Athens dramatized the tragic tales of kings, including Xerxes of Persia, whose overweening ambitions led the rulers to ruin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

The performers spent their afternoon with young people who’d come from local high schools—budding playwrights, dancers, and rappers kicking around the White House, writing lyrics and dropping beats with their heroes.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama