writing

noun

writ·ing | \ ˈrī-tiŋ

Definition of writing

1 : the act or process of one who writes: such as

a : the act or art of forming visible letters or characters specifically : handwriting sense 1

b : the act or practice of literary or musical composition

2 : something written: such as

a : letters or characters that serve as visible signs of ideas, words, or symbols

b : a letter, note, or notice used to communicate or record

c : a written composition

d : inscription

3 : a style or form of composition

4 : the occupation of a writer especially : the profession of authorship

writing on the wall

: an omen or sign of one's unpleasant fate No one told him he was going to be fired, but he could see the writing on the wall. [=he could see that he was going to be fired soon]

Examples of writing in a Sentence

Writing usually isn't a lucrative career, but it has been very fulfilling for me. He teaches creative writing at the university. Few people nowadays care about the art of letter writing. The novel's plot is okay, but the writing is horrible. I asked a friend to critique my writing. Her essay was a wonderful piece of writing. She has a unique writing style. Much of the best Japanese writing has not been translated into English. the writings of Benjamin Franklin a book of selected writings on moral philosophy

Recent Examples on the Web

The novel is also graced with vivid, vigorous writing. — Gerard Helferich, WSJ, "‘The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King’ Review: A Rough Road to Power," 25 Jan. 2019 Many blame his anti-immigrant and anti-Catholic writings for fomenting the 1855 Bloody Monday riots in which where mobs attacked Catholic neighborhoods. — Phillip M. Bailey, The Courier-Journal, "Mayor should yank statue of ex-Confederate soldier, councilman says," 2 July 2018 The day typically runs from about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Lamphere said, and includes reading, writing, math, science and social studies classes. — Mikaela Porter, Courant Community, "West Hartford Ben Bronz Academy Moves Into New Space Next To Northwest Catholic," 29 June 2018 His writing apparently reflects a certain deliberative style too. — Jack Mccallum, SI.com, "The President Is Golfing," 27 June 2018 Across decades and genres, his writing for the magazine dwelled on the degradation of beauty and happiness. — Annika Neklason, The Atlantic, "What Donald Hall Understood About Death," 26 June 2018 A decade later, a random presidential appointment having nothing to do with me brought me to a place where my writing and public career could begin. — CBS News, "Charles Krauthammer, longtime conservative columnist and Fox News personality, dead at 68," 22 June 2018 My interview with Yale philosopher Erica Benner about what the writings of 16th-century Italian writer Niccolò Machiavelli can teach us about Trump and liberal democracy was fascinating and definitely worth a read. — Sean Illing, Vox, "Here are the 5 most interesting conversations I had in 2018," 26 Dec. 2018 Maybe the brand will finally see the writing on the wall. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Had Its Lowest Ratings Ever," 3 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'writing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.