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

But one senses that the playwright is at a loss to find a plausible ending after the simmering conflicts have erupted into a full conflagration.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Renowned photographer Randy and his playwright husband Jack are vacationing on the Oregon coast, but their trip sours.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

He was preceded in death by his older brother, “A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking” playwright John Ford Noonan Jr., who died in 2018 at age 77.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Instead, the artwork reflects a different telling of the Trojan War that was made famous by the Greek playwright Aeschylus.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2026

I wrote play-writer and Miss Garnder said the right word was playwright.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith