lithography

noun

li·​thog·​ra·​phy li-ˈthä-grə-fē How to pronounce lithography (audio)
1
: the process of printing from a plane surface (such as a smooth stone or metal plate) on which the image to be printed is ink-receptive and the blank area ink-repellent
2
: the process of producing patterns on semiconductor crystals for use as integrated circuits

Examples of lithography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In these bite-size courses, which can be as short as a week or two, future engineers and technicians can gain critical hands-on experience in clean-room fundamentals or an introduction to topics like lithography or etching. Gwendolyn Rak, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Sep. 2025 Demand for lithography equipment, which is used in the microchips production process, has also risen this year, a boon for ASML, according to BofA. Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025 This creates complementary logic circuits without lithography, etching, or high-temperature processes. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025 The company provides process control and yield management solutions for semiconductor industries, including defect inspection, metrology (the science of measurement), process monitoring, computational lithography, and data analytics products. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lithography

Word History

Etymology

litho- + -graphy, after French lithographie or German Lithographie (now Lithografie)

First Known Use

1813, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lithography was in 1813

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Cite this Entry

“Lithography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lithography. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

lithography

noun
li·​thog·​ra·​phy lith-ˈäg-rə-fē How to pronounce lithography (audio)
: a method of printing from a flat surface (as a smooth stone or metal plate) that has been prepared in such a way that only the areas meant to print will take ink

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