longhand

noun

long·​hand ˈlȯŋ-ˌhand 

: handwriting: such as

a

: characters or words written out fully by hand

b

: cursive writing

Synonyms of longhand

• handwriting
• calligraphy
• manuscript

Examples of longhand in a Sentence

She wrote the book in longhand.

my computer was down for most of the afternoon, so I wrote out my report in longhand

Recent Examples on the Web

Former assistant city clerk Denise Tucker, who has been taking longhand minutes for the recount, for the most part gets a break. — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 8 July 2026

Our guy is just pecking away at his little typewriter or writing his memories in longhand. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

Schumacher worked longhand, and filled tons of flip notebooks with his words before transferring them onto a typewriter. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026

In Conversation Amit Chaudhuri tells us about writing longhand, rereading the Bhagavad Gita, and more. — Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for longhand

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

Kids Definition

longhand

noun

long·​hand ˈlȯŋ-ˌhand 

1

: the characters or words written out fully by hand

2

: cursive writing