Word
wright
US/ˈɹaɪt/
UK/ɹˈaɪt/
Definition
n. a person who builds or creates something, especially out of wood.
n. a constructive worker or maker, particularly one who fashions objects or structures.
Examples
“The ship's wright repaired the wooden hull.”
Examples
simple
“The ship's wright repaired the wooden hull.”
Usage
In modern English, this is almost exclusively found in compounds like 'playwright', 'shipwright', or 'wheelwright'.
Teaching tip
Learners should treat this as a historical term; in modern contexts, 'maker' or 'builder' is preferred unless using a specific compound noun.
Etymology
English and Scottish occupational surname, from the archaic noun wright (“builder, maker”). Found as the second element of compounds such as Wainwright, Cartwright, etc.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/wright