screenplay — A script written for a film, including dialogue, stage directions, and camera instructions
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: A script written for a film, including dialogue, stage directions, and camera instructions
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈskriːnˌpleɪ/
Example Sentences
- She spent three years writing a screenplay about a vampire who's afraid of blood.
- The screenplay was so boring that even the actors fell asleep while reading it.
- His screenplay won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
screenplay
NOUN[/ˈskriːnˌpleɪ/]
A script written for a film, including dialogue, stage directions, and camera instructions

Director reviewing film script

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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Screenplay emerged in the early 20th century as a compound word accompanying the development of the film industry. It combines 'screen' (referring to the cinema screen) and 'play' (drama or theatrical performance), literally meaning 'a play for the screen,' to denote a film script or scenario.
Breakdown
screen (cinema display surface) + play (dramatic work or script). The compound combines the medium (screen) with the literary form (play) to create a new word for cinema-specific written works.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“She spent three years writing a screenplay about a vampire who's afraid of blood.”
“The screenplay was so boring that even the actors fell asleep while reading it.”
“His screenplay won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.”
“The screenplay adaptation faithfully captured the essence of the novel.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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