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.

---

writ ² American  

[rit] / rɪt /

verb

Archaic.

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

---

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

---

writ ² British  

/ rɪt /

verb

1. archaic a past tense and past participle of write

2. plain to see; very obvious

---

Etymology

Origin of writ

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

Explanation

If you are ever served with a writ, then you better do what it says. A writ is a written document issuing a legal order. The word writ has been around since before the twelfth century and was first used to describe a written document needed to have a case heard at the royal courts of England during the Middle Ages. Nowadays, the king is most likely no longer involved, but this word still refers to a legal document issued by a court of law. A writ contains a written order instructing someone to do something or to stop doing something. If you ever need to give out a writ, remember that the verb to serve is typically used to describe the issuing of a writ — as in “Tony was served with a writ on Monday.”

Example Sentences

Writ large, Europe needs a more dynamic financial engine for the capital-intensive goals its leaders have set out in defense, green transition and artificial intelligence.

From Barron's • Oct. 25, 2025

Also known as the "Great Writ of Liberty", habeas corpus grants prisoners the right to challenge their imprisonment in a court of law.

From BBC • May 11, 2025

The lawsuit, filed in 2022, hinges on a Philippine legal remedy called the Writ of Kalikasan.

From Science Magazine • May 2, 2024

Writ large, the potential of quieter, cleaner lawn care is an enormous business opportunity, and an excuse for companies and weekend warriors alike to upgrade their gear.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2022

Writ large, that wilderness was America, even the globe itself, but more specifically it was the redwood bungalow Zora lived in in Noe Valley and where I was now living, too.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• summons