authorship

noun

au·​thor·​ship ˈȯ-thər-ˌship 

1

: the profession of writing

2

: the source (such as the author) of a piece of writing, music, or art

3

: the state or act of writing, creating, or causing

Examples of authorship in a Sentence

His first attempt at authorship failed.

Recent Examples on the Web

That Jonas is, himself, a former boy band star who has at times gone it alone, lends the movie a direct connection to contemporary music, where tussles over authorship are increasingly common. —ABC News, 3 June 2026

And then a surprising proportion of the early front-runners or near-front-runners in the primary—Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell—flamed out of favor for reasons of their own authorship. —Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 2 June 2026

Preserve the human’s authorship signal. —Sourabh Pateriya, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

These empowering opportunities provoke an unprecedented blurring of boundaries between them and the hypertext’s designers as far as authorship is concerned. —Carmen Daniela Maier, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

author entry 1 + -ship

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing authorship

• co-authorship

Rhymes for authorship

• battleship
• censorship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip
• internship

Kids Definition

authorship

noun

au·​thor·​ship ˈȯ-thər-ˌship 

1

: writing as an occupation

2

: the origin especially of a written work