screenplay

noun

screen·​play ˈskrēn-ˌplā 

: the script and often shooting directions of a story prepared for movie production

Synonyms of screenplay

• script

Examples of screenplay in a Sentence

an award for best screenplay

each actor will be given a copy of the screenplay to study

Recent Examples on the Web

In the early 1980s, while researching his screenplay of Scarface in Miami, Oliver noticed not only the rise of cocaine, but of a young, emerging millionaire class. — Michael Douglas, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026

The original, directed by David Fincher and starring Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, powered to $224 million globally, won four Oscars, including one for Sorkin’s screenplay, and is widely considered one of the best movies of the 2010s. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026

That’s the high concept of the rudimentary screenplay by Umair Aleem, who seems to have spent time studying Aristotle’s unity of place theory. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

That’s because the screenplay, whenever it’s set inside the Grenada conference room, comes verbatim from the transcript written by a Congressional stenographer for posterity. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for screenplay

• airway
• allay
• archway
• array
• ashtray
• assez
• astray
• aue
• away
• ballet
• belay
• beltway

Kids Definition

screenplay

noun

screen·​play ˈskrēn-ˌplā 

: the written form of a story prepared for film production