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

Some of these focused directly on Duchamp, while others explored broader questions about originality, authorship, intention, skill and value. — Matthew Palczynski, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2026

Buckmaster alleged that the call became contentious, with OpenAI offering him sole authorship for the Navier-Stokes result in a paper that would acknowledge that the company’s internal model had solved it. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026

My novel The Rayburn Affair lays bare notions of friendship, rivalry, envy, authorship, and power. — Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026

The authorship, the self-revealing, the exhibitionism, being so proud. — Rachel Handler, Vulture, 2 Sep. 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