screenwriting

noun

screen·writ·ing ˈskrēn-ˌrī-tiŋ

: the writing of screenplays : the activity or occupation of a screenwriter

He studied … screenwriting at film school …—Eileen Cartter

Another friend called to borrow a how-to book on screenwriting. "You want to write a screenplay?" I asked her.—Ann Hood

After graduating, she is cast in a film that leads to a successful career in screenwriting.—Maylee Chai

Examples of screenwriting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Focusing on screenwriting, production and directing, Pulido is a former recipient of the Fonca Young Creators grant and was recently selected for the Pecda Veracruz program to write his third feature-film screenplay. — Ed Meza, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026 In the world of screenwriting, $200,000 wasn’t going to break any records. — Blake J. Harris, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 Ang Lee's 1995 version would earn Kate Winslet her first Oscar nomination and Emma Thompson her first screenwriting win. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Lee went on to teach screenwriting at the Korea National University of Arts. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for screenwriting

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of screenwriting was in 1919

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Style

“Screenwriting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screenwriting. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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screenwriting

noun

Examples of screenwriting in a Sentence

Word History

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Cite this Entry

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