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

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

A separate auction from the company Heritage included a Christian Dior skirt that Monroe wore on her honeymoon and a letter from her husband playwright Arthur Miller.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Her third husband, playwright Arthur Miller, suggests the purchases were largely a pose: In his memoir, he wrote that aside from some short stories and Colette’s “Cheri” she likely never read anything start to finish.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

Dr. Olena Matiushyn also stands out, as does her husband, Ihor, a former Soviet military officer turned teacher turned smuggler turned playwright turned volunteer policeman.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

The book beat out a story about a suburban witch by French novelist and playwright Marie NDiaye as well as Brazilian Ana Paula Maia's dystopian read about a brutal prison colony.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

The playwright Tony Kushner has described the attraction of gay men to the theater, and their influence on it, in one word: fabulousness.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove