serif

noun

ser·​if ˈser-əf How to pronounce serif (audio)
: any of the short lines stemming from and at an angle to the upper and lower ends of the strokes of a letter
serifed adjective
or seriffed

Illustration of serif

Illustration of serif
  • 1 serif

Examples of serif in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keough weaves both voices together in a dual narrative demarcated by type: Lisa Marie’s words are in a serif font, and her own are sans serif. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024 From tiny, barely visible lines and dots to serif and non-serif typography, from depth ratings in meters vs. feet to crown guards that look like avian beaks, the world of vintage Rolex is positively filled with quirky idiosyncrasies that can be difficult to parse, let alone memorize. Oren Hartov, Robb Report, 4 July 2024 John Everett Benson, a stone carver whose lapidary inscriptions mark the grave of President John F. Kennedy and sites including the National Gallery of Art, conferring elegant permanence and permanent elegance with their stately strokes and serifs, died June 13 in Newport, R.I. Emily Langer, Washington Post, 21 June 2024 By the register were notebooks made to look like classic book covers designed by the German publisher Suhrkamp Verlag—stark, with serif text. John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for serif 

Word History

Etymology

probably from Dutch schreef stroke, line, from Middle Dutch, from schriven to write, from Latin scribere — more at scribe

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serif was in 1841

Dictionary Entries Near serif

Cite this Entry

“Serif.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serif. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

serif

noun
ser·​if ˈser-əf How to pronounce serif (audio)
: any of the short lines crossing the upper and lower ends of the strokes of a printed letter

More from Merriam-Webster on serif

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