To write something (like a book, article, or speech) that will be published or credited to someone else.
Combines 'ghost' (Old English 'gāst') with 'write' (Old English 'wrītan'). The metaphor uses 'ghost' to suggest invisible or uncredited authorship—the writer is present but unseen, like a spirit.
Ghostwriting is surprisingly common: many celebrity memoirs, self-help books, and business books are written by invisible authors who never get credit or royalties, which is why some famous people's books sound nothing like how they actually talk.
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