- 1[intransitive, transitive] to make letters or numbers on a surface, especially using a pen or pencil From the sixth century, more and more children learned to read and write. write something He wrote the literal meaning in pencil above each Latin word.
- 2[transitive, intransitive] to produce something in written form so that people can read, perform or use it write something She has written five books and more than 100 articles. Bach wrote the greatest music ever composed for the organ. write something about/on somebody/something A great deal has been written about the distinction between data, information and knowledge. write about somebody/something McLaren writes about his experience of teaching for five years in schools in America. write for something Marx began writing for a liberal daily the authorities closed down in 1843. at the time of writing At the time of writing, this matter was still unresolved. write somebody something An unknown poet wrote his mother the ‘Consolation to Livia’.
- 3[intransitive, transitive] to put information, a message of good wishes, etc. in a letter and send it to somebody The Secretary of State wrote to say that he had decided not to grant the request. write (something) (to somebody) The members of the group were encouraged to write to the Prime Minister to say what he should do about the country. write somebody something His mother used to write him letters in English. write that… In his resignation letter, Bevan wrote that it was wrong to impose national health charges. write doing something Later, L'Estrange wrote requesting that Graucob remove the machine.
- 4[transitive, intransitive] to state the information or the words mentioned write that… In his autobiography, he writes that he did not see Plath much at this time. write of something Modern scholars increasingly write of a ‘transformation’ of Graeco-Roman society. + speech ‘The present century’, he wrote, ‘has been marked by a prodigious increase in wealth-producing power.’
- 5[transitive] to put information in the appropriate places on a printed form write something (out) The junior doctor had been asked to write out the prescription. write somebody (out) something They wrote him a cheque for two hundred euros.
- 6[transitive, intransitive] write (something) to/onto something to record data in the memory of a computer The processor may either read data from a memory location or write data to a memory location. True read/write optical storage systems write data onto the disk, read it and then erase it. Phrasal Verbs
- 1to write something on paper, especially in order to remember or record it It is useful to write down the essential points for the patient to study at home.
- 2to reduce the value of an asset when stating it in a company's accounts This approach involves closing insolvent financial institutions and writing down shareholders' capital.
write
verbBrE BrE//raɪt//; NAmE NAmE//raɪt//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they write BrE BrE//raɪt//; NAmE NAmE//raɪt//
he / she / it writes BrE BrE//raɪts//; NAmE NAmE//raɪts//
past simple wrote BrE BrE//rəʊt//; NAmE NAmE//roʊt//
past participle written BrE BrE//ˈrɪtn//; NAmE NAmE//ˈrɪtn//
-ing form writing BrE BrE//ˈraɪtɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ˈraɪtɪŋ//
to write somebody a letter replying to their letter synonym reply1 He wrote back to his colleague immediately.
to write a letter to an organization or a company, for example to ask about something or to express an opinion People often write in to newspapers and magazines to complain about new usages.
to include a rule or condition in a contract or an agreement when it is made Holiday entitlement is usually written into a contract of employment.
to cancel a debt; to recognize that something is a failure or has no value The creditors were only willing to write off less than 2% of the group's debt. Their fixed assets have already been written off.
to decide that somebody/something is a failure or not worth paying any attention to synonym dismiss In the mid-1970s, commentators tended to write off Mrs Thatcher as a prospective Prime Minister.
to write something on paper, including all the details, especially a piece of work or an account of something It was assumed that Elizabeth I delivered her speeches from a text written out in advance. see also write
to record something in writing in a full and complete form, often using notes that you made earlier Darwin hurriedly wrote up his research in his book, ‘The Origin of Species’.