playwriting

American  

[play-rahy-ting] / ˈpleɪˌraɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. the art or technique of writing theatrical plays; the work or profession of a playwright.

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Etymology

Origin of playwriting

First recorded in 1895–1900; play + writing

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

playwriting

August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” the first of his plays to reach Broadway, catapulted the author’s playwriting career.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

While Broadway has historically led on revenue, London’s centuries-old playwriting heritage has long made audiences and producers more open to new works.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

Initially, I wasn’t accepted into UCLA’s theater program, but I was involved with playwriting, directing and acting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

"Classical plays give you language, the ability to speak it and to give a kind of spin to a sentence that you don't have with modern playwriting," she said.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

Chekhov’s first rule of playwriting goes something like this: “If there’s a gun on the wall in act one, scene one, you must fire the gun by act three, scene two.”

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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