writ

¹ American  

[rit] / rɪt /

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.

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writ ² American  

[rit] / rɪt /

verb

Archaic.

1. a simple past tense and past participle of write.

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writ ¹ British  

/ rɪt /

noun

1. Official name: claim.  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 act

2. archaic a piece or body of writing

   Holy Writ

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writ ² British  

/ rɪt /

verb

1. archaic a past tense and past participle of write

2. plain to see; very obvious

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Etymology

Origin of writ

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

Example Sentences

Traditional incarceration, a lock-’em-up and watch-them-suffer approach, has dramatically failed not only our communities and public safety writ large, but also inmates and even those who guard them.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s plenty of folks who I’ve heard from personally, who are concerned, not just for themselves, but for their neighbors, for their friends and for the system writ large.

From Salon

"So we have to husband those resources and steward them as best we can to achieve the optimal outcome for obviously our own citizens, but also our partners writ large."

From BBC

Whether any of these downfalls will result in a re-examination of how men treat women writ large looks less likely.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It was like a play in a game. It wasn’t the game writ large.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• summons