# script

/ˈskɹɪpt/ (US) · /skɹˈɪpt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/script
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. film/stage text

noun · CEFR B1

the written words for a play, movie, or television show that the actors speak.

For teachers: the written text of a play, film, or broadcast, including dialogue and stage directions.

- The actors spent the whole morning reading through the new script for the first time.
- The director insisted on several last-minute revisions to the script to ensure the protagonist's motivations remained clear to the audience.

### 2. handwriting style

noun · CEFR B2

a particular style of writing by hand, or characters that look like handwriting.

For teachers: a style of handwriting or a system of writing characters; also refers to typefaces that imitate cursive handwriting.

- The ancient document was written in a beautiful, flowing script that was hard to read.
- Scholars spent decades deciphering the unique script used by the civilization, which combined both phonetic and logographic elements.

### 3. computer program

noun · CEFR B2

a small computer program that performs a specific task automatically.

For teachers: a set of instructions or a small program written for a specific environment to automate tasks.

- I wrote a simple script to rename all the photos in the folder at once.
- The system administrator executed a maintenance script to clear the temporary cache and optimize the database performance overnight.

### 4. medical prescription

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a short way of saying a doctor's prescription for medicine.

For teachers: an informal clipping of 'prescription', referring to the written authorization for a patient to purchase medicine.

- The doctor wrote me a script for some antibiotics to help with my cough.
- After the consultation, the pharmacist confirmed they had the necessary medication in stock to fill the script immediately.

Teaching tip: This is very common in spoken English, especially in the US and Australia, but should be avoided in formal medical reports.

### 5. expected behavior

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

a set of expected actions or words for a specific social situation.

For teachers: a mental or social framework containing a sequence of expected behaviors for a given situation.

- He felt like he was following a script during the job interview because he had practiced so much.
- Social psychologists study how individuals deviate from the traditional cultural script during high-stress interpersonal interactions.

### 6. to write a text

verb · CEFR B2

to write the text for a movie, play, or speech.

For teachers: to write the dialogue and instructions for a performance or broadcast.

- The comedian scripts all of his own jokes rather than hiring a writer.
- The documentary was carefully scripted to ensure that the complex scientific concepts were accessible to a general audience.

## Examples

- The actors are reading the script for the first time.
- The director asked the lead actress to suggest changes to the script to make the dialogue feel more natural.
- While the original script called for a dramatic confrontation in the rain, budget constraints forced the production team to move the scene into a small, dimly lit office.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.