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
• longhand
• manuscript
• penmanship
• script

Examples of calligraphy in a Sentence

she specializes in scrollwork with beautiful calligraphy

Recent Examples on the Web

Much of the space was given to an exquisite traditional Japanese garden, an adjacent open pavilion displaying Masa’s priceless calligraphy collection. —Alok Sama, Fortune Asia, 17 Sep. 2024

Classic American art and sculpture are held in the Kalamazoo Institute of Art, while other unique art forms are taught at places like the Book Arts Center, which teaches papermaking, calligraphy, and letterpress, and Glass Art Kalamazoo, which teaches glassblowing. —Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2024

Tong’s calligraphy and brushstroke treatments on a grand scale were employed throughout Wu’s collection, from sporty jackets and breezy separates in silk chiffon to dresses with asymmetrical hemlines and deconstructed details. —Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2024

The new tools are a watercolor brush, calligraphy pen, highlighter, variable-width pen, and ruler. —Julian Chokkattu Brenda Stolyar, WIRED, 13 May 2024

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