wright
noun
a worker, especially a constructive worker (used chiefly in combination).
wright
1 American
[rahyt]
/ raɪt /
noun
-
wrights
plural
Wright
2
American
[rahyt]
/ raɪt /
noun
-
Charles, born 1935, U.S. poet.
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Frances or Fanny, 1795–1852, U.S. abolitionist and social reformer, born in Scotland.
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Frank Lloyd, 1867–1959, U.S. architect.
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James, 1927–80, U.S. poet and translator.
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Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734–97, English painter.
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Joseph, 1855–1935, English philologist and lexicographer.
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Mary Kathryn Mickey, born 1935, U.S. golfer.
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Orville 1871–1948, and his brother Wilbur, 1867–1912, U.S. aeronautical inventors.
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Richard, 1908–60, U.S. novelist.
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Russel 1904–76, U.S. industrial designer.
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Willard Huntington S. S. Van Dine, 1888–1939, U.S. journalist, critic, and author.
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a male given name.
Wright
1
British
/ raɪt /
noun
-
Frank Lloyd. 1869–1959, US architect, whose designs include the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo (1916), the Guggenheim Museum, New York (1943), and many private houses. His "organic architecture" sought a close relationship between buildings and their natural surroundings
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Joseph, known as Wright of Derby . 1734–97, British painter, noted for his paintings of industrial and scientific subjects, esp The Orrery (?1765) and The Air Pump (1768)
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Joseph. 1855–1930, British philologist; editor of The English Dialect Dictionary (1898–1905)
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Judith ( Arundel ). 1915–2000, Australian poet, critic, and conservationist. Her collections of poetry include The Moving Image (1946), Woman to Man (1949), and A Human Pattern (1990)
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Richard. 1908–60, US Black novelist and short-story writer, best known for the novel Native Son (1940)
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Wilbur (1867–1912) and his brother, Orville (1871–1948), US aviation pioneers, who designed and flew the first powered aircraft (1903)
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William, known as Billy . 1924–94, English footballer: winner of 105 caps
wright
2
British
/ raɪt /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of wright
before 900; Middle English; Old English wryhta, metathetic variant of wyrhta “worker”; akin to work
Explanation
If you make a living building furniture out of wood, you can call yourself a wright, which is an old fashioned way to say "maker or builder." You're more likely to see the word wright in combination with other words than on its own these days. Some common examples are playwright and wheelwright, or in other words, makers of plays and wheels. The origin of wright is the Old English wryhta, or "someone who works with wood." Originally, a wright was specifically a wood worker, but later it grew to include many different kinds of professions.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Topics: , , , , colorado capitol building, jared wright, jonathan singer, kurtis lee, Denver Post, John Hickenlooper, Gov. John Hickenlooper, , ,
From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2014
Tags: Baseball, david wright, mets, retaliation, terry collins Baseball evokes the image of a father having that catch with his son.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2012
It is to be hoped that one of these years the judges in Stockholm will confer upon Williams the Nobel Prize for Literature, which has been accorded to only one U.S. play wright, Eugene O'Neill.
From Time Magazine Archive
Abie's Irish Rose made Play wright Nichols an estimated $6.000,000.
From Time Magazine Archive
All our spinnin' wheels and flax wheels and looms was hand-made by a wheel wright, Marse Noah Westmoreland.
From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, North Carolina Narratives, Part 1 by Various
At Wendy’s, recently appointed Chief Executive Bob Wright has been traveling the country to meet with franchisees, laying out a five-point plan covering food, branding, operations, restaurants and digital strategy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Wright has told Wendy’s franchisees that the chain’s promotions need to better resonate with customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
In addition to filmmaker Ryan Coogler, actors Letitia Wright and Winston Duke are returning for the third “Black Panther” installment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
He got a two-step lead on rookie corner Collin Wright on a long pass from Lance, yet couldn’t cash in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Mrs. Wright gave the photo one last long look, then set it back on the mantel and angled it carefully, wiped a speck of dust from the glass.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Play wrights Sanctuary directed Dr Larry Myers of St John s University goes directly to breaking news troubespots nd engages in dramatic arts jihads!
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2017
It remains to be seen whether the costly craft launched by Russel Crowe and his ark wrights will sink or swim.
From Time ● Mar. 27, 2014
The new humor, which draws its tone from play wrights such as Albee and Pinter, is cruel, taut-nerved, and speaks the lingo of the obscene and the absurd, not funny-ha-ha but funny-peculiar.
From Time Magazine Archive
Unlike many play wrights, Hamilton was both willing and able to make changes in his script.
From Time Magazine Archive
Humpty Dumpty lay in a beck,* With all his sinews round his neck; Forty doctors and forty wrights Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty to rights!
From The Nursery Rhymes of England by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
