A writ is an official written order issued by a court or other legal authority commanding someone to do something or stop doing something. The word comes from an old form of the word “write,” reflecting how these orders must be written down to have legal force.

When a court issues a writ, it carries serious weight. A writ of habeas corpus, for example, orders authorities to bring a prisoner before a judge to determine if their imprisonment is lawful. This particular writ protects people from being locked up unfairly or indefinitely without trial. Other writs might order someone to appear in court, turn over documents, or stop a specific action until a case can be heard.

In medieval England, writs were the main way kings and courts exercised power across the realm. A royal writ could summon someone to answer for a crime, settle a dispute about land, or command officials to take action. Today's legal system still uses writs, though they're less common than in the past.

You might encounter the phrase writ large, which means something shown clearly or on a grand scale, as if written in huge letters for everyone to see. If someone says, “Her personality was writ large in everything she did,” they mean her character showed clearly in all her actions.