écrit

Écrit is a French word with several related meanings tied to writing. As an adjective, it means “written” or “in writing” and agrees in gender and number: masculin sing. écrit; féminin sing. écrite; masculine plural écrits; féminin plural écrites. Examples include un document écrit and une page écrite. The adjective-use contrasts with parlé (spoken).

As a noun, un écrit denotes a written work, document, or text. The plural écrits refers to writings in general or to a collection of written texts. In religious or historical contexts, les Écrits (capital E) can refer specifically to sacred writings or scriptures in French usage.

Écrit also serves as the past participle of the verb écrire. It forms compound tenses with the auxiliary avoir (j’ai écrit). When the direct object precedes the auxiliary, the participle may agree (la lettre que j’ai écrite). In passive or impersonal constructions, on peut dire “il est écrit” or “c’est écrit” meaning “it is written.”

Etymology traces écrit to Old French escript/escrit, from Latin scriptus, the past participle of scribere, via the development of French écrire. The related noun écriture refers to the act of writing or the system of script, and to a written script or style.

See also: écrire, écriture, écrits, Écritures. In scholarly or theological contexts, the term Écritures is commonly used for religious scriptures, while in everyday language, écrivain and écriture refer to authors and the craft of writing. The word écrit thus spans grammar, literature, and culture as both a form and a product of writing.