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• script
  script

  noun

  the letters or characters used in writing by hand; handwriting, especially cursive writing.
• Script.
  Script.

  abbreviation

  Scriptural.

script

¹ American  

[skript] / skrɪpt /

noun

• scripts
  plural

1. 

   the letters or characters used in writing by hand; handwriting, especially cursive writing.

2. a manuscript or document.

3. the text of a manuscript or document.

4. the manuscript or one of various copies of the written text of a play, motion picture, or radio or television broadcast.

5. any system of writing.

6. Printing. a type imitating handwriting.

7. Digital Technology. an executable section of code that automates a task.

   You will have to run the script to install the program on your computer.

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verb (used with object)

• scripts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scripted,
  past participle,  past
• scripting
  present participle

1. to write a script for.

   The movie was scripted by a famous author.

2. to plan or devise; make arrangements for.

   The week-long festivities were scripted by a team of experts.

3. Digital Technology. to write an executable section of code for (a program) in order to automate a task.

   You can script a program that will scan your files.

verb (used without object)

• scripts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scripted,
  past participle,  past
• scripting
  present participle

1. Digital Technology. to write an executable section of code that automates a task.

   Most programmers script in more than one programming language.

Script. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Scriptural.

2. Scripture.

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script British  

/ skrɪpt /

noun

1. handwriting as distinguished from print, esp cursive writing

2. the letters, characters, or figures used in writing by hand

3. any system or style of writing

4. written copy for the use of performers in films and plays

5. law

   1. an original or principal document

   2. (esp in England) a will or codicil or the draft for one

6. any of various typefaces that imitate handwriting

7. computing a series of instructions that is executed by a computer program

8. an answer paper in an examination

9. another word for scrip 3

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verb

1. (tr) to write a script for

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• scripter
  noun
• underscript
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scripts
  plural

Participles

• scripting
  present
• scripted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• script
  simple
• scripts
  simple
• have scripted
  perfect
• has scripted
  perfect
• am scripting
  progressive
• are scripting
  progressive
• is scripting
  progressive
• have been scripting
  perfect progressive
• has been scripting
  perfect progressive

Past

• scripted
  simple
• had scripted
  perfect
• was scripting
  progressive
• were scripting
  progressive
• had been scripting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will script
  simple
• will have scripted
  perfect
• will be scripting
  progressive
• will have been scripting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of script

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English (noun), from Latin scriptum, noun use of neuter past participle of scrībere “to write”; replacing Middle English scrit, from Old French escrit, from Latin, as above; (verb) first recorded in 1930–35; from the noun.

Explanation

A script is a written version of a play or movie. If you're auditioning for a movie, you'll get the script to practice a scene or two. Script comes from the Latin scrībĕre, meaning "to write," and all its meanings have to do with something written. Your handwriting is your script. The written version of what you're supposed to say, whether for a wedding toast or a play, is a script. And if you were feeling old-fashioned you could call the grocery list you just wrote a script. It's also a verb. You can script a play.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

script Script. scripts scripted scripting

I wouldn’t presume — based on the script and seeing the first episode — I wouldn’t presume to get inside the head of that character.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

For every Leicester City Premier League victory or Emma Raducanu run in New York, there are countless more examples of sport refusing to follow the fairytale script.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

A friend admonished him for the high-hat dismissal, and a chastened Mr. Lloyd fished out the script for a closer look.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

From a draft script shared by The Bulwark:

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

Some will even write the lyrics in the script of the original language.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

As such he is also mentioned in Script. rer.

From Teutonic Mythology, Vol. 1 of 3 Gods and Goddesses of the Northland by Ph.D.

It is included in Pelzel and Dobrowsky, Script. rer.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 4 "Coquelin" to "Costume" by Various

The latter has been reprinted in the Script. rer.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 1 "Gichtel, Johann" to "Glory" by Various

Script., published in 1548, during Barclay's life time, adorns him with the epithets "Scotus, rhetor ac poeta insignis."

From The Ship of Fools, Volume 1 by Alexander Barclay

He understands how to use his innate magnetism to charm his way through even the silliest scripts, occasionally creating a dissonance between the film and his performances that makes even the duds memorable.

From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026

"You get a lot of scripts through the post, and you feel like you've seen a bit before. And this, I really hadn't seen this before, so I was excited," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The auction features Pee-wee’s iconic gray suit and other costumes, red Schwinn bicycles, dolls, puppets, claymation figures, scripts and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

He said: "It's not about me or my journey, it's about the players and how they're writing different scripts every time we take the field."

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Henri would stay right beside me and whisper those scripts, the ones we recorded.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Of course, a scripted “My pleasure!” isn’t necessarily more authentic than a cheerful voice generated by a computer.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

It is a vulnerable and human response - and nothing like the scripted PR apology you might expect.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

All in all, it was a clarifying week for pseudo-events, scripted to generate coverage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The TV series originated with a 2022 scripted podcast, produced by Criminal Content and also called “American Hostage,” on which Hamm also played the role of Heckman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Even during this face-to-face “personal” time, many of Sinclair’s comments seemed scripted.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers were a few weeks into scripting their upcoming awards show when it hit them: They’d forgotten about the Coldplay kiss-cam couple.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

Woolworths said that it had revised its scripting in light of the complaints, adding that most of the feedback on Olive's "personality" had been "very positive".

From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026

"As a result of customer feedback, we recently removed this particular scripting."

From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026

Today, people use it for literally everything — from planning their trips around the globe and debugging code to creating dinner recipes, scripting social media posts and customizing cover letters.

From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2025

Although the conference was supposed to focus on Perl, a scripting language created by Unix hacker Larry Wall, O'Reilly assured Raymond that the conference would address other free software technologies.

From Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman's Crusade for Free Software by Sam Williams

Related Words

• article
• book
• copy
• dialogue
• libretto
• manuscript
• scenario
• text