Writing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈrī-tiŋ/ writ·ing

Meaning & Definition of Writing

Writing (noun)

  1. the act or process of one who writes
  2. the act or art of forming visible letters or characters; specifically, handwriting
  3. the act or practice of literary or musical composition

Writing (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in document

    similar: document, line, bordereau, memoir, memorial, minutes, protocol, report, jotting, memo, memorandum, notation, note

Writing (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to compose and set down on paper the words of

    "a staunch supporter of the old school, he prefers to write all of his letters by hand"

    similar: authoring, penning, scratching (out), scribbling
    related: casting, composing, crafting, drafting, drawing up, formulating, framing, preparing, recasting, redrafting, revising, rewriting, lettering, printing, typewriting, typing, recording, taking down, transcribing, autographing, penciling (in), registering, signing, couching, expressing, phrasing, putting, wording

  2. to engage in an exchange of written messages

    "promise you'll write while you're away"

    similar: corresponding
    related: communicating, intercommunicating, airmailing, e-mailing, telegraphing, mailing, posting, answering, replying

Related Entry: Write (verb)

Write is a different word from Writing. The synonyms below are for write, not for writing.

  1. to compose and set down on paper the words of

    "a staunch supporter of the old school, he prefers to write all of his letters by hand"

    similar: author, pen, scratch (out), scribble
    related: cast, compose, craft, draft, draw up, formulate, frame, prepare, recast, redraft, revise, rewrite, letter, print, type, typewrite, record, take down, transcribe, autograph, pencil (in), register, sign, couch, express, phrase, put, word

  2. to engage in an exchange of written messages

    "promise you'll write while you're away"

    similar: correspond
    related: communicate, intercommunicate, airmail, e-mail, telegraph, mail, post, answer, reply

Related Entry: Written (verb)

Written is a different word from Writing. The synonyms below are for written, not for writing.

  1. to compose and set down on paper the words of

    "a staunch supporter of the old school, he prefers to write all of his letters by hand"

    similar: authored, penned, scratched (out), scribbled
    related: cast, composed, crafted, drafted, drawn up, formulated, framed, prepared, recast, redrafted, revised, rewritten, lettered, printed, typed, typewritten, recorded, taken down, transcribed, autographed, penciled (in), registered, signed, couched, expressed, phrased, put, worded

  2. to engage in an exchange of written messages

    "promise you'll write while you're away"

    similar: corresponded
    related: communicated, intercommunicated, airmailed, e-mailed, telegraphed, mailed, posted, answered, replied

Related Entry: Writing up (verb)

Writing up is a different word from Writing. The synonyms below are for writing up, not for writing.

  1. as in writing, describing

    similar: describing, writing, broadcasting, circulating, disseminating, publishing, sounding off, speaking out, speaking up, advertising, announcing, declaring, enouncing, enunciating, proclaiming, saying, chiming in, airing, expounding, expressing, giving, looking, raising, sounding, stating, ventilating, venting, voicing, communicating, conveying, putting across, putting over, offering, submitting
    opposite: stifling, suppressing, censoring, restraining, restricting

Related Entry: Writing down (verb)

Writing down is a different word from Writing. The synonyms below are for writing down, not for writing.

  1. to diminish the price or value of

    "a company forced to write down its assets"

    similar: attenuating, breaking, cheapening, depreciating, depressing, devaluating, devaluing, downgrading, lowering, marking down, reducing, sinking, writing off
    related: debasing, demonetizing, underestimating, underpricing, underrating, undervaluing, abridging, compressing, contracting, de-escalating, deflating, downsizing, dwindling, lessening, moderating, shrinking
    opposite: appreciating, enhancing, marking up, upgrading
    near: bloating, blowing up, inflating, overestimating, overpricing, overrating, overvaluing, adding, aggrandizing, amplifying, augmenting, ballooning, boosting, compounding, dilating, enlarging, escalating, expanding, extending, heightening, increasing, maximizing, multiplying, raising, swelling, upping

  2. to make a written note of

    "write down what you remember about that day"

    similar: jotting (down), logging, marking, noting, putting down, recording, registering, reporting, setting down, taking down
    related: chronicling, minuting, transcribing, enregistering, entering, inscribing, chalking (up), notching, scoring

Related Entry: Writing off (verb)

Writing off is a different word from Writing. The synonyms below are for writing off, not for writing.

  1. to express scornfully one's low opinion of

    "most critics have already written off that director as a hack incapable of turning out anything but schlock"

    similar: bad-mouthing, belittling, crying down, decrying, denigrating, deprecating, depreciating, derogating, diminishing, discounting, dismissing, disparaging, dissing (slang), kissing off, minimizing, playing down, poor-mouthing, putting down, running down, talking down, trashing, trash-talking, vilipending, dumping on
    related: discommending, abusing, scolding, disapproving (of), disliking, censuring, condemning, criticizing, denouncing, reprehending, reprobating, aspersing, defaming, maligning, ripping, slandering, slurring, traducing, vilifying, discrediting, disgracing
    opposite: acclaiming, applauding, exalting, extolling, glorifying, lauding, magnifying, praising
    near: approving, countenancing, endorsing, favoring, recommending, sanctioning, commending, complimenting, eulogizing

  2. to diminish the price or value of

    "that one blunder will write off to nothing all the goodwill we've been building up"

    similar: attenuating, breaking, cheapening, depreciating, depressing, devaluating, devaluing, downgrading, lowering, marking down, reducing, sinking, writing down
    related: debasing, demonetizing, underestimating, underpricing, underrating, undervaluing, abridging, compressing, contracting, de-escalating, deflating, downsizing, dwindling, lessening, moderating, shrinking
    opposite: appreciating, enhancing, marking up, upgrading
    near: bloating, blowing up, inflating, overestimating, overpricing, overrating, overvaluing, adding, aggrandizing, amplifying, augmenting, ballooning, boosting, compounding, dilating, enlarging, escalating, expanding, extending, heightening, increasing, maximizing, multiplying, raising, swelling, upping

Related Entry: Write down (verb)

Write down is a different word from Writing. The synonyms below are for write down, not for writing.

  1. to diminish the price or value of

    "a company forced to write down its assets"

    similar: attenuate, break, cheapen, depreciate, depress, devaluate, devalue, downgrade, lower, mark down, reduce, sink, write off
    related: debase, demonetize, underestimate, underprice, underrate, undervalue, abridge, compress, contract, de-escalate, deflate, downsize, dwindle, lessen, moderate, shrink
    opposite: appreciate, enhance, mark up, upgrade
    near: bloat, blow up, inflate, overestimate, overprice, overrate, overvalue, add, aggrandize, amplify, augment, balloon, boost, compound, dilate, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, heighten, increase, maximize, multiply, raise, swell, up

  2. to make a written note of

    "write down what you remember about that day"

    similar: jot (down), log, mark, note, put down, record, register, report, set down, take down
    related: chronicle, minute, transcribe, enregister, enter, inscribe, chalk (up), notch, score

Related Entry: Write off (verb)

Write off is a different word from Writing. The synonyms below are for write off, not for writing.

  1. to express scornfully one's low opinion of

    "most critics have already written off that director as a hack incapable of turning out anything but schlock"

    similar: bad-mouth, belittle, cry down, decry, denigrate, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, diminish, dis (slang), discount, dismiss, disparage, kiss off, minimize, play down, poor-mouth, put down, run down, talk down, trash, trash-talk, vilipend, dump on
    related: discommend, abuse, scold, disapprove (of), dislike, censure, condemn, criticize, denounce, reprehend, reprobate, asperse, defame, malign, rip, slander, slur, traduce, vilify, discredit, disgrace
    opposite: acclaim, applaud, exalt, extol, glorify, laud, magnify, praise
    near: approve, countenance, endorse, favor, recommend, sanction, commend, compliment, eulogize

  2. to diminish the price or value of

    "that one blunder will write off to nothing all the goodwill we've been building up"

    similar: attenuate, break, cheapen, depreciate, depress, devaluate, devalue, downgrade, lower, mark down, reduce, sink, write down
    related: debase, demonetize, underestimate, underprice, underrate, undervalue, abridge, compress, contract, de-escalate, deflate, downsize, dwindle, lessen, moderate, shrink
    opposite: appreciate, enhance, mark up, upgrade
    near: bloat, blow up, inflate, overestimate, overprice, overrate, overvalue, add, aggrandize, amplify, augment, balloon, boost, compound, dilate, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, heighten, increase, maximize, multiply, raise, swell, up

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Writing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Writing:

document, line, bordereau, memoir, memorial, minutes, protocol, report, jotting, memo, memorandum, notation, note, authoring, penning, scratching (out), scribbling, corresponding

Related Words for Writing

casting, composing, crafting, drafting, drawing up, formulating, framing, preparing, recasting, redrafting, revising, rewriting, lettering, printing, typewriting, typing, recording, taking down, transcribing, autographing, penciling (in), registering, signing, couching, expressing, phrasing, putting, wording, communicating, intercommunicating

Origin & Etymology of Writing

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Writing

Words & Phrases Containing Writing

writing desk, writing on the wall, writing paper, automatic writing, picture writing, spirit writing, in writing

Frequently Asked Questions about Writing

What does "Writing" mean?

"Writing" means the act or process of one who writes. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the act or process of one who writes. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Writing"?

Other words for "Writing" include document, line, bordereau, memoir, memorial, minutes, protocol and report. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Writing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Writing"?

There are 55 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Writing". Common alternatives include document, line, bordereau, memoir, memorial, minutes, protocol, report, jotting and memo.

How do you use "Writing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Writing" in a sentence: "a staunch supporter of the old school, he prefers to write all of his letters by hand"; "promise you'll write while you're away".

Is "Writing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Writing" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Writing" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Writing" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Writing"?

"Writing" is pronounced /ˈrī-tiŋ/ and divided into syllables as writ·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Writing"?

First known use: 13th century.