1
as in handwriting
the form or style of a particular person's writing
doctors are famous for their illegible penmanship
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2
as in calligraphy
writing done by hand
the students spend far more time honing their computer skills than they do improving their penmanship
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Recent Examples of penmanship
Who doesn’t dream of making beeswax candles, topping naked cakes with berries and writing on labels with picture-perfect penmanship?
—
Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
Inspired by her penmanship, the Crayola crayons came in handy as people sketched absentmindedly on paper surfaces throughout the meal.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2025
The book appears to have all of its original pages, which are covered with tidy penmanship.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2025
Learning cursive used to be standard in classrooms across the United States, with penmanship graded.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penmanship
Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
Inspired by her penmanship, the Crayola crayons came in handy as people sketched absentmindedly on paper surfaces throughout the meal.
—Freya Drohan, Vogue, 6 Mar. 2025
The book appears to have all of its original pages, which are covered with tidy penmanship.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Feb. 2025
Learning cursive used to be standard in classrooms across the United States, with penmanship graded.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penmanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penmanship
Noun
-
The class broke down into groups, each focusing on a different aspect of White’s story: For instance, one group attempted a handwriting analysis, while another searched for records of White during his enslavement in Maryland.—
Ellen Wexler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 June 2025
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In other words, the historical record seems as illegible as my own prehistoric handwriting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 June 2025
Noun
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Those images are not on view here, only his elegant tripartite scene of women in the latest fashions, practicing the four arts of stringed instruments, strategy games, calligraphy, and painting.—
Lori Waxman,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2025
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Check-in started with a calligraphy envelope reading my name and a vintage skeleton key to the Sarah Dutro suite.—
Rafael Peña,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Penmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penmanship. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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