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 Ruggiero noted that in the play, Ethan is a writer and that playwright Hunter grew up in small town Idaho himself. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 3 Oct. 2026 But Ireland doesn’t feel comfortable calling herself a playwright. — Carey Purcell, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026 Reflecting on his career as a whole, Domingo says he is often guided by advice from prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, part of which adorns his left arm as a tattoo. — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026 Off-screen, Lange has three kids, having welcomed a daughter with ex-boyfriend Mikhail Baryshnikov and two children with the late playwright Sam Shepard. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for playwright
Recent Examples of Synonyms for playwright
  1. writer
  2. dramatist
  3. screenwriter
  4. author
Noun
  • There’s an irony in this prominent liberal writer’s lack of interest in actual politics — in any kind of collective solidarity that might extend beyond the county line.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Nancy Slonim Aronie, a writer and artist friend on the Vineyard, had a more alarming experience after she was rushed to a hospital in Boston in January for open heart surgery.
    — Bob Drogin, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of writer
Noun
  • The tools of a novelist are totally different than the tools of a dramatist.
    — Max Gao, Variety, 4 Oct. 2026
  • With this time-shaping device called the Chronovisor, Father Pellegrino Ernetti professed to have seen footage of the crucified Christ and even enjoyed a lost play staged by an ancient Roman dramatist.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of dramatist
Noun
  • Previous Power 100 recipients include Academy Award-winning director Ryan Coogler, four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, award-winning screenwriter and producer Mara Brock Akil and media personality Scott Evans.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Yu has optioned the original screenplay for psychological horror Elise by Guyanese Canadian screenwriter Amir Bacchus; attached Chris Alexander to direct, and also sealed a deal for Equinoxe Films to release the finished film in Canada.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of screenwriter
Noun
  • That figure is the first half of the show’s title, the activist, author, and playwright Larry Kramer, who co-founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP and was instrumental in bringing the AIDS crisis to public attention.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Steinbeck’s novel is largely centered around the Hamiltons (who emigrate from Ireland to the author’s beloved Salinas Valley) and the Trasks (who move to California from the East Coast).
    — Max Gao, Variety, 4 Oct. 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on playwright

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about playwright

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