specifically: a legal instrument in epistolary form issued under seal in the name of the English monarch
b
: an order or mandatory process in writing issued in the name of the sovereign or of a court or judicial officer commanding the person to whom it is directed to perform or refrain from performing an act specified therein
writ of detinue
writ of entry
writ of execution
c
: the power and authority of the issuer of such a written order—usually used with run
outside the United States where … our writ does not run Dean Acheson
Example Sentences
The judge issued a writ of habeas corpus. He was served with a writ.
Recent Examples on the WebBy the time the fall ready-to-wear collections walked this past February, brands had already cut back promotional sales, limited supply, and raised prices, stoking demand writ large. Kristen Bateman, Town & Country, 25 Aug. 2022 Customer reviews and social media posts are just words-of-mouth writ large. Matthew Earle, Forbes, 18 May 2022 The writ was brought by lawyers for Jane Dorotik, who earned a new trial for the former Valley Center woman after years of re-investigating her case. Greg Moran, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 July 2022 Last month, an application for writ of garnishment was filed in federal court, stating a judgment was entered in his case and $20,100 is owed from him. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 6 July 2022 The suit is known as a petition for a writ of mandate and declaratory relief. Paul Pringlestaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2022 There’s a trope that women alter their appearances when something significant happens; the emotional writ large on the body. Luna Adler, Glamour, 26 July 2022 Massachusetts was the product of the Puritan Revolution, the Commonwealth writ small. Marilynne Robinson, Harper’s Magazine , 20 July 2022 The first song from the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush, its opening weave of vanguard Fairlight synthesizer and booming Linn drum signified a cloud-parting rupture in her career and in music writ large.Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English wrītan to write
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of writ was before the 12th century