编剧 (biān jù) literally means 'to compile drama' — 编 (biān) means 'to compile, edit, or compose', and 剧 (jù) means 'drama, play, or script'. Together, they refer to the person who writes the screenplay for films, television series, or stage productions. Unlike a novelist or short-story writer, a screenwriter focuses on dialogue, scene directions, character actions, and visual storytelling tailored for performance and camera.

This term is widely used in China’s film and television industry and appears in credits, interviews, and professional discussions. It emphasizes creative authorship of narrative content specifically for audiovisual media. While 编剧 can sometimes be used as a verb ('to write a screenplay'), its primary and most common usage is as a noun referring to the person — similar to how 'director' or 'producer' functions in English.