playwright

noun

Definition of playwrightnext
as in writer
a person who writes plays The actor perfectly captured the unique cadences employed by the playwright.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of playwright That prospect was growing dimmer a few years later when playwrights such as Suzan-Lori Parks and Lynn Nottage came into prominence. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026 The Tony-winning playwright, whose works include Take Me Out and The Assembled Parties, died of cancer in 2025 at 67. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026 Lang originated and developed the project with playwright and screenwriter Ange Betzien, who created the series. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 25 June 2026 The project — which Miranda developed with playwright and actress Eisa Davis — will be his first Broadway show since Hamilton. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for playwright
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playwright
  1. writer
  2. dramatist
  3. screenwriter
  4. author
Noun
  • Inspired by the sensibility of a tantalizingly idiosyncratic writer-performer, the play offered Greenspan the opportunity to star in a Greenspan-esque work not of his own devising.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Every mortgage article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of the products.
    — Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Definition of writer
Noun
  • The theater was built by songwriter, dramatist and playwright Arthur Hammerstein to honor his father, Oscar Hammerstein I, and opened as Hammerstein’s Theater in 1927.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026
  • In transcripts of hearings of the notorious House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Garber finds an upwelling of voices from the literary past, among them Christopher Marlowe, the revenge dramatist Thomas Kyd, and, from first to last, Shakespeare, Shakespeare, Shakespeare.
    — Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
Definition of dramatist
Noun
  • Tony Rayns, the British writer, festival programmer and screenwriter who spent decades introducing Western audiences to East Asian cinema, has died at 77.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 July 2026
  • As solely a screenwriter, Helgeland wrote Man on Fire and Green Zone.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 6 July 2026
Definition of screenwriter
Noun
  • Seuss Studios, for example, is a new imprint that allows diverse authors to pull unused Geisel illustrations and use them in new children’s books.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 11 July 2026
  • Comment Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
    — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 11 July 2026
Definition of author

Browse Nearby Words

play (with)
playwright
playwrights
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Cite this Entry

“Playwright.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/playwright. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on playwright

Nglish: Translation of playwright for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about playwright

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