stylus

noun

sty·​lus ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(-ə)-ˌlī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz 

: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: such as

a

: an instrument used by the ancients in writing on clay or waxed tablets

b

: a hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a reproducing machine

c(1)

: needle sense 3c

(2)

: a cutting tool used to produce an original record groove during disc recording

d

: a pen-shaped pointing device used for entering data (such as positional information from a graphics tablet) into a computer

Examples of stylus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The tablet comes with a black stylus that supports 4,096 degrees of pressure and capacitive touch. —PC Magazine, 21 July 2025

The left knob moves the stylus horizontally; the right knob, vertically. —Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025

This is a great 40% discount for Samsung’s best, which sports an 11-inch AMOLED screen, excellent performance, and includes a stylus that magnetically sticks to the top of the slate. —Simon Hill, Wired News, 12 July 2025

Set within a sturdy and rounded frame, the LCD writing tablet is electronic and exercises your child's writing and drawing skills with a stylus (goodbye, messy markers and crayons). —Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 10 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin stylus, stilus spike, stylus — more at style

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stylus

• eyeless
• majlis
• xylose

Kids Definition

stylus

noun

sty·​lus ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz 

1

: an instrument used by the ancients for writing on wax tablets

2

: needle entry 1 sense 4

Medical Definition

stylus

noun

sty·​lus

variants also stilus

ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz  or stili or stiluses

: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: as

a

: a hard-pointed instrument for punching the dots in writing braille with a braille slate

b

: a device that traces a recording (as of an electrocardiograph) on paper