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

Miami Vice ’85, with a screenplay by Dan Gilroy, explores the glamour and corruption of mid-1980s Miami in an all-new version of Miami Vice, inspired by the pilot episode of the landmark 1984-90 NBC series. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026

Hailing from the Pixar animation world, Cooley was one of the writers of Pixar’s classic Inside Out, which earned him (and the writing team) an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay in 2016. — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026

The screenplay, co written by Koguashvili, Boris Frumin and Georgi Kekelidze is thus packed with incident and, at almost two hours, perhaps has a digression or two too many. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026

Tina Gharavi directs based on a screenplay by Justine Waddell; Haley Bennett stars as Katherine Hilbery, with Lily Allen as Mary Datchet, Elyas M’Barek as Ralph Denham, and Jack Whitehall as William Rodney. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 14 Sep. 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