Standard Lemma guide

written

adj · noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɹɪ.tn̩/
  • [ˈɹɪʔt̚n̩]
  • [ˈɹɪ.ʔn̩] t-glottalization
  • [ˈɹɪ.ɾn̩] t-flapping
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: ridden (t-flapping)
  • South-Asia: /ˈɾɪtən/
  • homophone: return (non-rhotic, stress neutralized)
  • rhymes with -ɪtən
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH1 T AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, relating, or characteristic of writing (i.e., of that which has been written).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Written language is a way of representing spoken language.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: oral, verbal

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having been written.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • I can speak Japanese fairly well, but I have no understanding whatsoever of written Japanese.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unwritten

3

noun

Meaning 3

A rap that was written in advance, as opposed to a freestyle.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

past participle of write

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

Examples

  • Has your girlfriend written you a letter yet?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

written as for a film or play or broadcast

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: scripted

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

set down in writing in any of various ways

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • written evidence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: spoken

7

adjective

Meaning 7

systematically collected and written down

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • written laws

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unwritten

History

Etymology

Morphologically write + -en.

Across languages

Translations

63 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: geskrewe — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Armenian: գրավոր (gravor) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Assamese: লিখা (likha) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Assamese: লিখা থকা (likha thoka) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Asturian: escritu — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Bashkir: яҙма (yaźma) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Bashkir: яҙыулы (yaźıwlı) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Bashkir: яҙылған (yaźılğan) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Bashkir: яҙыуҙағы (yaźıwźağı) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Belarusian: пі́сьменны (písʹmjenny) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Belarusian: пісьмо́вы (pisʹmóvy) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Bulgarian: пи́смен (písmen) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Bulgarian: напи́сан (napísan) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Catalan: escrit — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Czech: psaný — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Esperanto: skriba — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Finnish: kirjoitettu — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Finnish: kirjallinen — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • French: écrit — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Galician: escrito — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Georgian: წერითი (c̣eriti) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Georgian: დაწერილი (dac̣erili) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Georgian: წერილობითი (c̣erilobiti) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • German: geschrieben — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • German: schriftlich — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Greek: γραπτός (graptós) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Ancient Greek: γραπτός (graptós) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Hungarian: írott — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Hungarian: írt — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Interlingua: scripte — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Irish: scríofa — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Istriot: screîto — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Italian: scritto — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Latin: scrīptus — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Macedonian: писмен (pismen) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Macedonian: напишан (napišan) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Mongolian: ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠮᠡᠯ (bičimel) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Mongolian: бичмэл (bičmel) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Occitan: escrit — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Persian: کتبی (katbi) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Polish: pisany — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Polish: napisany — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Portuguese: escrito — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Romanian: scris — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Russian: пи́сьменный (písʹmennyj) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Russian: напи́санный (napísannyj) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Sardinian: iscritu — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Scottish Gaelic: sgrìobhte — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Serbo-Croatian: пи̑са̄н — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Serbo-Croatian: pȋsān — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Sicilian: scrittu — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Slovak: písomný — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Slovak: napísaný — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Spanish: escrito — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Spanish: escripto (disused) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Swedish: skriven — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Swedish: skriftlig — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Turkish: yazılı — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Ukrainian: напи́саний (napýsanyj) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Ukrainian: писе́мний (pysémnyj) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Ukrainian: письмо́вий (pysʹmóvyj) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Uyghur: كىتاۋىي (kitawiy) — of, relating or characteristic of writing
  • Venetan: scrito — of, relating or characteristic of writing
Real reading context

written in complete knowledge articles