Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

writ1

[rit]
See more synonyms for writ on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Law.
    1. a formal order under seal, issued in the name of a sovereign, government, court, or other competent authority, enjoining the officer or other person to whom it is issued or addressed to do or refrain from some specified act.
    2. (in early English law) any formal document in letter form, under seal, and in the sovereign's name.
  2. something written; a writing: sacred writ.
Show More

Origin of writ1

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old Norse rit writing, Gothic writs letter. See write

writ2

[rit]
verb Archaic.
  1. a simple past tense and past participle of write.
Show More

write

[rahyt]
verb (used with object), wrote or (Archaic) writ; writ·ten or (Archaic) writ; writ·ing.
  1. to trace or form (characters, letters, words, etc.) on the surface of some material, as with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means; inscribe: Write your name on the board.
  2. to express or communicate in writing; give a written account of.
  3. to fill in the blank spaces of (a printed form) with writing: to write a check.
  4. to execute or produce by setting down words, figures, etc.: to write two copies of a letter.
  5. to compose and produce in words or characters duly set down: to write a letter to a friend.
  6. to produce as author or composer: to write a sonnet; to write a symphony.
  7. to trace significant characters on, or mark or cover with writing.
  8. to cause to be apparent or unmistakable: Honesty is written on his face.
  9. Computers. to transfer (information, data, programs, etc.) from storage to secondary storage or an output medium.
  10. Stock Exchange. to sell (options).
  11. to underwrite.
Show More
verb (used without object), wrote or (Archaic) writ; writ·ten or (Archaic) writ; writ·ing.
  1. to trace or form characters, words, etc., with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means, or as a pen or the like does: He writes with a pen.
  2. to write as a profession or occupation: She writes for the Daily Inquirer.
  3. to express ideas in writing.
  4. to write a letter or letters, or communicate by letter: Write if you get work.
  5. to compose or work as a writer or author.
  6. Computers. to write into a secondary storage device or output medium.
Show More
Verb Phrases
  1. write down,
    1. to set down in writing; record; note.
    2. to direct one's writing to a less intelligent reader or audience: He writes down to the public.
  2. write in,
    1. to vote for (a candidate not listed on the ballot) by writing his or her name on the ballot.
    2. to include in or add to a text by writing: Do not write in corrections on the galley.
    3. to request something by mail: If interested, please write in for details.
  3. write off,
    1. to cancel an entry in an account, as an unpaid and uncollectable debt.
    2. to regard as worthless, lost, obsolete, etc.; decide to forget: to write off their bad experience.
    3. to amortize: The new equipment was written off in three years.
  4. write out,
    1. to put into writing.
    2. to write in full form; state completely.
    3. to exhaust the capacity or resources of by excessive writing: He's just another author who has written himself out.
  5. write up,
    1. to put into writing, especially in full detail: Write up a report.
    2. to present to public notice in a written description or account.
    3. Accounting.to make an excessive valuation of (an asset).
Show More

Origin of write

before 900; Middle English writen, Old English wrītan; cognate with Old Saxon wrītan to cut, write, German reissen to tear, draw, Old Norse rīta to score, write
Related formsmis·write, verb (used with object), mis·wrote, mis·writ·ten, mis·writ·ing.
Can be confusedright rite wright write

Synonyms

See more synonyms for write on Thesaurus.com
6. compose, pen, author, draft, create.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for writ

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

British Dictionary definitions for writ

writ1

noun
  1. law (formerly) a document under seal, issued in the name of the Crown or a court, commanding the person to whom it is addressed to do or refrain from doing some specified actOfficial name: claim
  2. archaic a piece or body of writingHoly Writ
Show More

Word Origin

Old English; related to Old Norse rit, Gothic writs stroke, Old High German riz (German Riss a tear). See write

writ2

verb
  1. archaic, or dialect a past tense and past participle of write
  2. writ large plain to see; very obvious
Show More

write

verb writes, writing, wrote or written
  1. to draw or mark (symbols, words, etc) on a surface, usually paper, with a pen, pencil, or other instrument
  2. to describe or record (ideas, experiences, etc) in writing
  3. to compose (a letter) to or correspond regularly with (a person, organization, etc)
  4. (tr; may take a clause as object) to say or communicate by letterhe wrote that he was on his way
  5. (tr) informal, mainly US and Canadian to send a letter to (a person, etc)
  6. to write (words) in cursive as opposed to printed style
  7. (tr) to be sufficiently familiar with (a specified style, language, etc) to use it in writing
  8. to be the author or composer of (books, music, etc)
  9. (tr) to fill in the details for (a document, form, etc)
  10. (tr) to draw up or draft
  11. (tr) to produce by writinghe wrote ten pages
  12. (tr) to show clearlyenvy was written all over his face
  13. (tr) to spell, inscribe, or entitle
  14. (tr) to ordain or prophesyit is written
  15. (tr) to sit (an examination)
  16. (intr) to produce writing as specified
  17. computing to record (data) in a location in a storage deviceCompare read 1 (def. 16)
  18. (tr) Compare underwrite (def. 3a)
Show More
See also write down, write in, write off, write out, write up
Derived Formswritable, adjective

Word Origin

Old English wrītan (originally: to scratch runes into bark); related to Old Frisian wrīta, Old Norse rīta, Old High German rīzan (German reissen to tear)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for writ

n.

Old English writ "something written, piece of writing," from the past participle stem of writan (see write). Used of legal documents or instruments since at least 1121.

Show More

write

v.

Old English writan "to score, outline, draw the figure of," later "to set down in writing" (class I strong verb; past tense wrat, past participle writen), from Proto-Germanic *writanan "tear, scratch" (cf. Old Frisian writa "to write," Old Saxon writan "to tear, scratch, write," Old Norse rita "write, scratch, outline," Old High German rizan "to write, scratch, tear," German reißen "to tear, pull, tug, sketch, draw, design"), outside connections doubtful. Words for "write" in most I.E languages originally mean "carve, scratch, cut" (cf. Latin scribere, Greek grapho, Sanskrit rikh-); a few originally meant "paint" (cf. Gothic meljan, Old Church Slavonic pisati, and most of the modern Slavic cognates).

For men use to write an evill turne in marble stone, but a good turne in the dust. [More, 1513]

To write (something) off (1680s) originally was from accounting; figurative sense is recorded from 1889. Write-in "unlisted candidate" is recorded from 1932.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Idioms and Phrases with writ

write

In addition to the idioms beginning with write

  • write down
  • write in
  • write off
  • write one's own ticket
  • write out
  • write up

also see:

  • nothing to write home about

Also see underwrote.

Show More
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.