serif

noun

ser·​if ˈser-əf 

: any of the short lines stemming from and at an angle to the upper and lower ends of the strokes of a letter

serifed adjective

or seriffed

ˈser-əft 

Illustration of serif

• 1 serif

Examples of serif in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Will my boss prefer serif or sans serif headings in this pitch deck? —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2026

In business correspondence, Posen likes to use a blue Sharpie whose ink matches the hue of a Gap logo that Drexler introduced in 1988, featuring a white serif font against a navy square. —Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026

The sans-serif typeface closely resembles that of the intertitles seen in Octavio Getino and Fernando Solanas’s revolutionary film La hora de los hornos (Hour of the Furnaces, 1968), which exhorted the Argentinian people to revolt against the Onganía regime. —Daniel R. Quiles, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026

Some studies suggest that sans-serif fonts, such as Calibri, are easier to read for those with certain visual disabilities. —Humeyra Pamuk, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from Dutch schreef stroke, line, from Middle Dutch, from schriven to write, from Latin scribere — more at scribe

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing serif

• sans serif

Rhymes for serif

• belief
• broadleaf
• debrief
• flyleaf
• khalif
• kharif
• longleaf
• massif
• motif
• relief
• saif
• beef

Kids Definition

serif

noun

ser·​if ˈser-əf 

: any of the short lines crossing the upper and lower ends of the strokes of a printed letter