Script: meaning, definitions and examples

A prepared text for films, television shows, plays, or broadcasts. Used in various audiovisual media to guide actors and directors.

• The director handed out the new script to the cast.
• The screenwriter finished the script just before the deadline.

A written work by screenwriters for a film, describing the story, dialogue, and instructions for the cinematography. Used exclusively in the context of films and television.

• He won an award for his groundbreaking screenplay.
• The director made numerous changes to the original screenplay.

An author's written or typed document of a book, article, or other literary work before it is published. Often used in the context of academic or literary works.

• She submitted her manuscript to the publishing house.
• The manuscript was over 200 pages long.

The actual written words of any document, message, or literary piece. Used broadly in many contexts including books, articles, messages, and more.

• The text of the novel was deeply moving.
• She sent a text message to confirm the meeting time.

Similar in use to the first 'script' entry, for automating tasks, often in web development or system administration.

• The startup script initializes all the services.
• A Python script was used to scrape data from the website.

A general term for text written by a programmer in a programming language. Can refer to segments of a program or the entirety of it.

• The code for this app is well-documented.
• She spent the weekend debugging her code.

A complete and functional software application. This term is used when referring to comprehensive projects rather than small tasks.

• She developed a program to manage the company's inventory.
• The new program allows users to edit photos easily.

A set of instructions that automates tasks in applications like spreadsheets or word processors. Often used to repeat common or complex sequences of actions.

• He created a macro to format the cells in Excel.
• Macros can save a lot of time in repetitive tasks.

A script is used in the context of creating texts for films, plays, or television. It is specifically tailored for actors and directors.

• She handed the script to the director for approval.
• The script for the new movie is incredibly well-written.

Write is the most general term and can be used in any context where something is being put into written form. It is not specific to any format or style.

• Please write a thank you note to your teacher.
• He likes to write letters to his grandparents every weekend.

Compose is used when creating something artistic, such as music, poetry, or any formal piece of writing. It implies a sense of structure and creativity.

• He loves to compose classical music in his free time.
• She composed a beautiful poem for the literary magazine.

Draft refers to the initial version of a piece of writing. It can be used for almost any kind of writing, including essays, articles, and books.

• She is currently working on the first draft of her novel.
• The draft will need a lot of revisions before it's ready for publication.