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

The article—ghostwritten by McGeorge Bundy, a future national-security adviser—claimed that dropping nuclear bombs on Japan had averted further war, saving more than a million American lives. —Jane Mayer, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2025

Initially hoping to profile the alluring con, journalist Wes Easton’s venture takes a different direction when Roya asks him to ghostwrite a memoir for her instead as a means of resurrecting her reputation. —Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025

Lil Novi, son of Lil Wayne, is claiming that his father ghostwrote the majority of Drake‘s music. —Jessica Bennett, VIBE.com, 17 June 2025

Andre Agassi’s memoir, ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer, is one of my favorite memoirs ever. —Chloe Schama, Vogue, 4 June 2024

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