calligraphy

noun

cal·​lig·​ra·​phy kə-ˈli-grə-fē 

1

a

: artistic, stylized, or elegant handwriting or lettering

b

: the art of producing such writing

2

: penmanship

3

: an ornamental line in drawing or painting

calligraphic

ˌka-lə-ˈgra-fik 

adjective

calligraphically

ˌka-lə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

Kalli- is a Greek root meaning "beautiful", and "beautiful" in the case of calligraphy means artistic, stylized, and elegant. Calligraphy has existed in many cultures, including Indian, Persian, and Islamic cultures; Arabic puts a particularly high value on beautiful script, and in East Asia calligraphy has long been considered a major art. Calligraphers in the West use pens with wide nibs, with which they produce strokes of widely differing width within a single letter.

Synonyms

• handwriting

Examples of calligraphy in a Sentence

she specializes in scrollwork with beautiful calligraphy

Recent Examples on the Web

Affluent area residents and Kyoto aristocratic families supported arts following classical traditions, funding Kōetsu’s production of ceramics, calligraphy, and lacquerware. —Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

When Meghan presents Smyth with a travel bag featuring her calligraphy, the chef recalls Meghan lending her artistic touch to the wedding menus. —Erin Hill, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Saturday’s celebration, which also featured food, painting and calligraphy, was aimed at helping Abu Shaban and other kids feel connected to humanity, Sosebee said. —Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 17 Aug. 2025

No seating chart with my name in calligraphy—dot next to Julia indicating a preference for fish. —Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French or Greek; French calligraphie, from Greek kalligraphia, from kalli- beautiful (from kallos beauty) + -graphia -graphy

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

calligraphy

noun

cal·​lig·​ra·​phy kə-ˈlig-rə-fē 

1

a

: beautiful handwriting

b

: the art of producing such handwriting

2

: penmanship sense 2

calligrapher

-rə-fər

noun