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

The jury will also bestow the best actor and actress awards, and may also award a screenplay award or an artistic achievement award. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Beekeeper 2 is based on a screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Zak Penn that emerged from a story and characters created by Wimmer. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

Duffield and Kraus collaborated on the screenplay, which helped alleviate many of Duffield’s concerns about his own work. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 15 Oct. 2026

And this alone — well, and two killer dance scenes — seems reason enough to revisit the story, three decades since Ang Lee’s 1995 version won Emma Thompson a screenplay Oscar. — ABC News, 14 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