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 of calligraphy

• handwriting

Examples of calligraphy in a Sentence

she specializes in scrollwork with beautiful calligraphy

Recent Examples on the Web

This holiday celebration, returning to NorthPark Center for the eighth year, will feature lion and dragon dances, special crafts and activities, book giveaways, a mini ponies meet-and-greet, Chinese calligraphy lessons, a musical performance, and more. —Travis Pinson, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026

The family-friendly event will feature a traditional lion dance, a kung fu demonstration by the Golden Leopard Martial Arts Center, interactive cultural stations like dumpling-making, calligraphy bookmarks, lantern and opera mask crafts, zodiac activities, chopstick lessons and more. —Ashley Opina, Twin Cities, 18 Feb. 2026

Highlights include calligraphy demonstrations, storytelling, cultural exhibits, and — as the weekend's finale — lion and dragon dances welcoming the Year of the Horse. —Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026

There will be activities for kids and a calligraphy station. —Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026

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