English

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Pronunciation

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  • enPR: rītʹĭng, IPA(key): /ˈɹaɪtɪŋ/
  • Hyphenation: writ‧ing
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -aɪtɪŋ
  • Homophone: riding (some varieties with flapping)

Etymology 1

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From Middle English writing, writyng, wryting, wrytyng, from Old English wrīting (writing), equivalent to write +‎ -ing.

Noun

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writing (countable and uncountable, plural writings)

  1. (uncountable) Graphism of symbols such as letters that express some meaning.
    • 2003, William G. Boltz, The Origin and the Development of the Chinese Writing System, page 14:
      Because writing of any kind is no more and no less than a graphic representation of speech [] , to study its nature and history we must often have recourse to the speech, that is, to the language, that the writing writes.
    • 2017, Anthony J. McMichael, Alistair Woodward, Cameron Muir, Climate Change and the Health of Nations, →ISBN, page 115:
      Early writing appeared in both societies around 3000 B.C.E., mainly for administrative purposes in Egypt and for accounting and trading in Sumer.
  2. (countable) Something written, such as a document, article or book.
  3. (uncountable) The process of representing a language with symbols or letters.
  4. (countable) A work of an author.
  5. (countable) The style of writing of a person.
    I can't read your writing.
  6. (as a modifier) Intended for or used in writing.
    a writing table
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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From Middle English writinge, wrytynge, writende, writand, from Old English wrītende, present participle of Old English wrītan (to scratch, carve, write), equivalent to write +‎ -ing.

Verb

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writing

  1. present participle and gerund of write
    • 2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)
      What are you doing? ― Um, I’m writing. ― You are writing! You are writing a lot!
      Audio (US):(file)

Anagrams

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Old English

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Etymology

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From wrītan +‎ -ing.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈwriː.tinɡ/, [ˈwriː.tiŋɡ]

Noun

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wrīting f

  1. writing

Declension

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: writing, writyng, wryting, wrytyng