playwright

Everyday

A playwright is a person who writes plays for the theatre. tree →

In the lessons

In English lessons a playwright writes scripts with characters, dialogue and stage directions; famous playwrights include Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and Arthur Miller. Phrases: a famous playwright, the playwright's notes.

Examples

• Shakespeare is the most famous English playwright. tree →
• Our class became playwrights and wrote short plays. tree →
• The playwright watched the first show from the back. tree →
• A playwright writes what actors say. tree →
• The young playwright won a prize. tree →
• Oscar Wilde was an Irish playwright. tree →

Note

Spelling trap: «wright», not «write». «Wright» is an old word for a maker or builder (as in wheelwright, shipwright), so a playwright is a «play maker». Countable: playwrights.