50 Words for Writing

50 Words for Writing 50 Words for â€Å"Writing† 50 Words for â€Å"Writing† By Mark Nichol As an unabashed proponent of reasonable elegant variation the moderate use of synonyms to avoid tiring repetition of a specific word throughout a passage I offer this assortment of terms for a piece of writing: 1. Article: This word, with the diminutive -le as a clue, refers to a small part of a publication (thus, the extension of the word to mean â€Å"thing† or â€Å"item†) more specifically, a piece of nonfiction that appears in a periodical or on a Web site. (It also refers to a section of an official piece of writing.) 2. Brief: Breve, the Latin predecessor of this synonym for short, acquired the connotation of â€Å"summary† or â€Å"letter† when it was used in the Roman Catholic Church to refer to a missive less extensive than a bull. (That word comes from the Latin word bulla, â€Å"knob,† referring to the seal that ensured discretion.) Brief now refers to a legal summary hence briefcase. 3. Causerie: This noun form of the French verb causer, â€Å"to chat,† directly borrowed into English, means â€Å"a brief, informal essay.† 4. Chronicle: This term, derived from the Greek term ta khronika (â€Å"the annals†), refers to a an account of a succession of historical events. 5. Column: This word originally referred to a vertical block of type on a page, echoing the original meaning of â€Å"pillar.† Early journalistic publications, which made no pretensions to objectivity, laid out various pieces of writing in distinct columns, hence the modern connotation of an article advocating a point of view. 6. Commentary: The Latin term from which this word derives, commentarius, refers to personal writing, but the modern sense is of an opinion piece. 7. Composition: This descendant of the Latin word compositionem (â€Å"putting together†) refers to the assemblage of sentences that constitutes a written effort, either in general or in the specific reference to a scholastic exercise. 8. Critique: A critique, as the name implies, is a work of criticism; the connotation is of a formal, erudite dissection of another written work (or any creative endeavor). 9. Diatribe: Interestingly, this word’s Latin precursor, diatriba, has the neutral connotation of â€Å"learned discussion.† A couple hundred years ago, it acquired the sense, now exclusive, of harsh criticism or complaint. 10. Discourse: The meaning of discursus, the Latin term from which discourse stems is â€Å"the act of running around,† suggesting the process of progressing through a written argument. 11. Discussion: Despite the resemblance of this word to discourse, there is no relation; the Latin origin is discussus, meaning â€Å"to break apart,† which led to the noun discussionem and its sense of â€Å"examination.† 12. Dissertation: The term from which this word’s Latin ancestor, dissertationem, is ultimately derived means â€Å"to take words apart†; the primary sense now is of scholarly writing that examines or debates an assertion. 13-14. Document: The Latin term documentum (â€Å"example, lesson, proof†) now has a generic sense of any piece of writing. Documentation, however, implies information provided to support or authenticate other writing, and is used especially in computing and in academic research. 15. Editorial: This word derives from the direct borrowing of the Latin term editor (â€Å"one who presents†). As the entry for column explains, all editorial content was originally subjective, but in modern journalism, the term refers to a statement of opinion by a periodical’s management or by a guest commentator. The latter variety is often relegated to an op-ed page. (The latter term is an abbreviation for â€Å"opposite the editorial page† that being the sheet on which the publication’s own arguments are printed.) 16. Essay: The meaning of this word is â€Å"attempt† (it’s related to assay, which refers to a test of a metal’s purity), with an original connotation, long since muted by the quotidian ubiquity of the scholastic assignment by that name, of a written opinion presented for the audience’s approval. 17. Examination: The sense of â€Å"test† for this word (or for exam, the truncated form that has largely supplanted it) follows the original meaning of â€Å"test or judging in a legal context† (hence the judicial term cross-examination). 18. Exposition: This word derived from the Latin term expositionem (â€Å"something shown or set forth†) can mean â€Å"narration† or, more often, â€Å"explanation; the latter sense is employed in literary criticism to refer to the author’s technique in revealing background details. 19. Feature: This term, taken from Latin by way of French, means â€Å"a formation.† In writing, it refers to an article specifically, usually a profile of a person, place, or thing, perhaps with a more conversational style, as opposed to a more straightforward news or informational piece or an opinion. 20. Guide: This word from the same term in French, originally meaning â€Å"one who shows the way,† refers to publications that inform readers about how to do something or where to visit. It may be extended to guidebook. 21. Memorandum: Taking directly from the Latin word for â€Å"(thing) to be remembered,† this word, and its abbreviation, memo, refer to an official note. 22. Minutes: This word, which stems from the Latin phrase minuta scriptura (literally, â€Å"small writing†), refers to a record of a meeting or a similar event. 23. Monograph: This word, which literally means â€Å"writing about one (thing),† refers to academic writing on a topic. 24. Narrative: The Latin term narrationem means â€Å"recounting,† and this word is a synonym for â€Å"story,† though it also specifically refers to storytelling style. 25. Polemic: This Anglicization of the French word polemique (â€Å"controversial†) means â€Å"a harsh response to or refutation of an opinion.† 26-28. Paper: This meaning an example of synecdoche, in which the name for a material stands in for something made of that material (as in wheels as slang for car) describes a scholarly written presentation. A variation is white paper, a piece of writing prepared for or by a government entity or a business to inform or persuade. By contrast, a green paper is a preliminary version of a white paper. 29. Proces-verbal: This French term meaning â€Å"verbal trial† is an unnecessary synonym for report unless, perhaps, one wishes to mock the formality or pretension of a report. 30-33. Prolegomenon: This mouthful of a synonym for preface, taken directly from Greek, means â€Å"to say beforehand,† though it may be used in a more general sense than preface, which usually refers to a specific component of a book. (A book preface, by the way, is distinguished from the proximately placed foreword by the fact that it is the author’s statement of purpose, intended audience, scope, and content. A foreword, by contrast, is a recommendation from another person. There may also be an introduction, which orients the reader to the topic.) 34. Propaganda: This word, stemming from the Modern Latin word for â€Å"propagating,† was used by the Roman Catholic Church in the sense of disseminating the Gospel. Since then, it has acquired a derogatory connotation, referring to true, slanted, or fabricated information designed to promote one’s, or criticize another’s, position or ideology. 35. Proposition: Like many words on this list, proposition comes down almost intact from Latin in this case, from propositionem, meaning â€Å"a statement.† In rhetoric, it is specifically the initial statement of an argument, or a point offered for consideration. It is also employed to refer to a type of referendum. 36. Rant: Alone among all the words on this list, rant is from a Germanic language, rather than Latin or Greek: Randten means to talk foolishly, and a rant is an emotional and perhaps irrational criticism in speech or in writing. 37. Report: This translation of the Latin word reportare, meaning â€Å"to carry back,† in noun form refers to a written or spoken account. More specifically, it acquired the sense of an investigative summary and, by extension, a scholastic exercise. 38. Review: This word, from the Latin verb revidere (â€Å"to see again†) by way of French (as the noun reveue) is used as a less formal synonym for critique (a written evaluation of a creative product). 39. Screed: This word (from the Old English term screde, â€Å"fragment,† and related to shred) needs context assistance, because it can mean â€Å"informal writing,† â€Å"a long speech,† or â€Å"a rant.† The last sense is the most frequent, but make sure, whatever usage you intend, that your readers will understand your intent. 40-41. Script: This derivation of the Latin word scriptum, â€Å"a piece of writing,† is versatile. It can refer to a piece of writing in general, to a set of instructions, or to a copy of a play, a screenplay, or a similar work, as well as to a brief computer program. It also has an informal connotation of an orchestrated version of reality that all associated parties are expected to adhere to. Manuscript literally means â€Å"a piece of writing produced by hand,† though now it has the more general meaning of a draft of writing at any stage of preparation, as opposed to a published version. 42. Study: Based on the Latin term studere, â€Å"to be diligent,† the verb gave rise to the noun meaning â€Å"evaluation† or â€Å"experiment† and then to a sense of a written account of the procedure. A case study is an account of a particular person, event, or situation. 43. Testament: Testamentum, in Latin, means â€Å"will,† as in the legal document, as does the English derivation, but it can also mean â€Å"a supporting statement.† 44. Testimonial: This word, derived from the Latin term testimonium, which originally referred to biblical scripture, came to mean â€Å"an attestation of the virtues of a person or thing.† 45. Theme: This word comes from Greek, meaning â€Å"something set down,† and is akin to thesis (see below), though it often refers merely to a student composition. 46. Thesis: Thesis stems from the same Greek root as theme (tithenai, â€Å"to set†); the former word, like the latter, means â€Å"something set down.† The formal meaning is of a piece of writing produced as a requirement for a college degree, but it also has a general sense of â€Å"a statement to be proved† and as such can refer to an introductory argument in a larger work. 47. Tract: A truncation of the Latin term tractatus, â€Å"a treatment,† tract has an often pejorative sense of a piece of propaganda (see above) or something reminiscent of such, often in pamphlet form. 48. Treatise: This word stems from a French derivation of the Latin term tractatus (see above) and refers to an argument that discusses and analyzes a topic. 49. Treatment: Treatment, which has the same root as treatise, is usually employed to refer to an outline or early adaptation of a screenplay. 50. Write-up: This informal term for a piece of writing can carry a connotation of a work with an unduly positive bias, so take care that the context communicates this intent or the lack thereof. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:36 Adjectives Describing Light34 Writing Tips That Will Make You a Better WriterOne "L" or Two?