printing

noun print·ing \ ˈprin-tiŋ \

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

Definition of printing

1 : the act or product of one that prints

2 : reproduction in printed form

3 : the art, practice, or business of a printer

4 : impression 4c

5 printings plural : paper to be printed on

See printing defined for English-language learners

See printing defined for kids

Examples of printing in a Sentence

The book is already in its second printing, and a third printing is scheduled for later this year.
The book has had two printings of 100,000 copies each.
Her printing is very neat.

Recent Examples of printing from the Web

Similar fears about diminished intelligence, information overload, social isolation, increased laziness, or distraction followed the printing press, gramophone, telephone, radio, and TV.

— nitasha tiku, WIRED, "The WIRED Guide to Internet Addiction," 18 Apr. 2018
Back then, few expected the cellular phone industry to fundamentally change our human existence forever, the way the printing press or pencil and paper did.

— Fortune, "Commentary: How 5G Technology Will Transform the Way We Live," 12 Apr. 2018
Someone had given me a little printing press with rubber type.

— WSJ, "New Yorker Illustrator R.O. Blechman Remembers the Youthful Crush That Inspired His Art," 22 Mar. 2018
As Shirley Zhao writes for South China Morning Post, the diorama scenes, some of which use augmented reality and 3D printing technology, capture a time that has all but disappeared in Hong Kong’s fast-changing, bustling culture and landscape.

— julissa treviño, Smithsonian, "These Tiny Works of Art Depict a Disappearing Way of Life in Hong Kong," 1 Mar. 2018
Three decades ago, creating and spreading a fake version of a newspaper article involved significant photo-editing skills and real-world printing technology all to create something that would have to be shared by hand.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "Here are the tools that could be used to create the fake news of the future," 12 Feb. 2018
In the 1500s, new trade routes and the arrival of the printing press helped erode the power of merchant guilds and give way to a much more open system of trading where strangers could interact with each other.

— Bloomberg.com, "This Explains Why Modern Markets Developed Where They Did," 12 Jan. 2018
On April 5, buy one burrito and get another of equal or lesser value for free using printing this coupon or presenting it on your mobile device.

— marissa miller, Teen Vogue, "16 National Burrito Day Deals," 5 Apr. 2018
Thanks to a printing mix-up, England was confused with Gambia, its capital listed as Banjul, and its population put at two million.

— Bloomberg.com, "Brexit Bulletin: Security Matters," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'printing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of printing

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

PRINTING Defined for English Language Learners

printing

noun

Definition of printing for English Language Learners

: the process of producing books, magazines, etc. by using machinery
: the act or process of printing a set number of copies of a book at one time
: handwriting that uses separate letters that do not join together

PRINTING Defined for Kids

printing

noun print·ing \ ˈprin-tiŋ \

Definition of printing for Students

1 : the art, practice, or business of making copies of text and images

2 : writing that uses separate letters

Learn More about printing

Spanish Central: Translation of printing Nglish: Translation of printing for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of printing for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about printing

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printing

Definition of printing

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PRINTING Defined for English Language Learners

printing

Definition of printing for English Language Learners

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printing

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printing

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