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

The Duke of York's theatre in London's West End is to be renamed after the playwright Sir Tom Stoppard, says the theatre's owner.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

In the audience was the "Medaaye" playwright Femi Osofisan, the first African to receive the prestigious Thalia Prize, in 2016.

From Barron's ● Jun. 26, 2026

He worked years as a stage manager with his father, a playwright and director, assisting on shows such as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” starring Moore and Richard Chamberlain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

It’s an adaptation of David Haig’s play of the same name, in which the playwright himself portrayed Stagg.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Welles appeared two days later in Houseman's office, eager to formally audition for the part in front of the playwright, Archibald MacLeish.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

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

Lucy Kirkwood, Penelope Skinner, Timberlake Wertenbaker and Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti are also among more than 70 UK-based playwrights taking part.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

Directors and playwrights can answer that question by exploring less familiar plays, some of which are crying out to be shared with the modern world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026

And when, in the dim stairwell, they kissed, the girl believed that this was what the poets and playwrights meant when they wrote of love.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny