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

Kid-friendly calligraphy classes and camelback excursions also make this a well-rounded retreat for first-timers to the region. —Karla Pope, Architectural Digest, 19 June 2025

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Sultanahmet Square was the first of its kind to display both Turkish and Islamic works of art together and is well worth a visit, especially if you’re fascinated by calligraphy, tilework, and carpets. —Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 23 June 2025

Visitors will get the opportunity to dabble in traditional Japanese arts such as calligraphy and try on garb like kimonos and yukata. —John Tuohy, IndyStar, 30 Apr. 2025

Besides the koi competition and related exhibits, the weekend event will feature Tuan Vo, a calligraphy master, and members of the California Calligraphy Association doing calligraphy to raise funds for ZNA NorCal scholarships for students around the world. —Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 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