screenplay

noun

screen·​play ˈskrēn-ˌplā How to pronounce screenplay (audio)
Synonyms of screenplaynext
: the script and often shooting directions of a story prepared for movie production

Synonyms of screenplay

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
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By the following spring it was nominated for best picture, director, lead actor for Daniel Kaluuya and original screenplay. Clayton Davis, Variety, 15 June 2026 To his point, the screenplay, prepared by the quartet of Mak Tin-shu, Lei Zhilong, Shum Kwan-sin, and Frank Hui, makes a profound emotional investment. Andy Crump, IndieWire, 15 June 2026 Tony Kushner's screenplay turns the thickets of policymaking into a righteous sort of poetry. Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026 Directed by Antoine Fuqua from a screenplay by John Logan, Michael also stars Coleman Domingo and Nia Long as Michael Jackson’s parents, Joe Jackson and Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller as the singer’s longtime manager, John Branca. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for screenplay

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of screenplay was in 1920

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Cite this Entry

“Screenplay.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screenplay. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

screenplay

noun
screen·​play ˈskrēn-ˌplā How to pronounce screenplay (audio)
: the written form of a story prepared for film production

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