writing

[rahy-ting]

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that writes.

2. written written form.

   to commit one's thoughts to writing.

3. that which is written; written; characters or matter written written with a pen or the like.

   His writing is illegible.

4. such characters or matter with respect to style, kind, quality, etc.

5. an inscription.

6. a letter.

7. any written written or printed paper, as a document or deed.

8. literary or musical style, form, quality, technique, etc..

   Her writing is stilted.

9. a literary composition or production.

10. the profession of a writer.

    He turned to writing at an early age.

11. the Writings, Hagiographa.

writing

/ ˈraɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. a group of letters or symbols written or marked on a surface as a means of communicating ideas by making each symbol stand for an idea, concept, or thing, by using each symbol to represent a set of sounds grouped into syllables ( syllabic writing ), or by regarding each symbol as corresponding roughly or exactly to each of the sounds in the language ( alphabetic writing ) See also ideogram

2. short for handwriting

3. anything expressed in letters, esp a literary composition

4. the work of a writer

5. literary style, art, or practice

6. written form

   give it to me in writing

7. (modifier) related to or used in writing

   writing ink

8. a sign or signs of approaching disaster

Other Word Forms

• self-writing adjective
• unwriting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of writing¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; write + -ing ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of writing¹

sense 8: allusion to Daniel 5:5

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. writing on the wall. handwriting.

Example Sentences

Those interested in updates about the state of Penelope’s writing career or what Francesca, John and Michaela Stirling have been up to since the end of the third season will have to keep waiting.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The two agreed to take the same narrative and each make it their own, like a creative writing exercise for pop-culture heavyweights.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“I think one of the most important things in writing, from a craft perspective, is to make sure your reader’s still paying attention,” she continues.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I think writing has unlocked her confidence. She would write in a fever. I’d be like, ‘We’ve got to stop now, we’ve got that dinner thing’ or whatever it would be.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I didn’t feel like it was being handled appropriately, and I kind of saw the writing on the wall, that it was something DEA was trying to brush under the rug,” Doherty said in court.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• article 
• book 
• document 
• essay 
• letter 
• literature 
• manuscript 
• novel 
• paper 
• piece 
• poem 
• prose 
• publication 
• review 
• theme 
• work