To write means to use letters, words, or symbols to record information or express ideas on paper, a screen, or another surface. When you write a story, you're creating sentences that tell about characters and events. When you write your name, you're forming the letters that identify you. When you write a note to a friend, you're communicating without speaking out loud.

People write in many ways: typing on a keyboard, using a pencil on paper, or even carving words into stone. Ancient Egyptians wrote in hieroglyphics, while you might write in English, Spanish, or another language. A scientist writes research papers to share discoveries. A musician writes songs. A programmer writes computer code.

The word can also mean to be an author or to create written works professionally. When someone asks, “What do you do?” and a person answers, “I write,” they usually mean they're an author, journalist, or similar professional who creates written content for a living.

Writing is one of humanity's most important inventions. Before writing existed, knowledge could only pass from person to person through speech and memory. Once people learned to write, they could preserve ideas across generations and communicate across vast distances. Every book you read, every text you send, every sign you see uses this fundamental skill.