English · Word Candidate

manuscript

/ˈmæn.jəˌskɹɪpt/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: manuscripts

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Handwritten, or by extension manually typewritten, as opposed to being mechanically reproduced.

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A book, composition or any other document, written by hand (or manually typewritten), not mechanically reproduced.

Noun

Examples

In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A single, original copy of a book, article, composition etc, written by hand or even printed, submitted as original for (copy-editing and) reproductive publication.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “manuscript” mean?

Handwritten, or by extension manually typewritten, as opposed to being mechanically reproduced.

Is “manuscript” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.