ghostwrite

verb

ghost·​write ˈgōs(t)-ˌrīt 

ghostwrote ˈgōs(t)-ˌrōt  ; ghostwritten ˈgōs(t)-ˌri-tᵊn 

intransitive verb

: to write for and in the name of another

transitive verb

: to write (a speech, a book, etc.) for another who is the presumed or credited author

ghostwriter noun

Examples of ghostwrite in a Sentence

She was hired to ghostwrite the mayor's autobiography.

Recent Examples on the Web

That scheme allegedly included Herbert ghostwriting a letter to two unnamed City Hall officials on the company’s behalf. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 13 Jan. 2026

Verity by Colleen Hoover Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, and Josh Hartnett star in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestseller Verity, which follows a struggling writer hired to ghostwrite for an injured bestselling author, only to uncover chilling secrets while staying at the family’s home. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2026

Henry’s latest swoony rom-com follows two journalists, each competing to ghostwrite the memoir of a former tabloid star. —Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025

Some have gone so far as to speculate that Alwyn was ghostwriting Swift’s songs all along, which is especially devastating, given how much time Swift has spent fighting not only to be recognized as a songwriter but to claim ownership of her own work. —Tyler Foggatt, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from ghostwriter

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for ghostwrite

• affright
• airtight
• albite
• alight
• alright
• aplite
• aright
• bainite
• birthright
• bobwhite
• bornite
• bullfight

Kids Definition

ghostwrite

verb

ghost·​write ˈgō-ˌstrīt 

ghostwrote -ˌstrōt  ; ghostwritten -ˌstrit-ᵊn  ; ghostwriting

-ˌstrīt-iŋ

: to write for and in the name of another

ghostwriter noun