handwriting

American  

[hand-rahy-ting] / ˈhændˌraɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. writing done with a pen or pencil in the hand; script.

2. a style or manner of writing by hand, especially that which characterizes a particular person; penmanship.

   an eccentric handwriting.

3. a handwritten document; manuscript.

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idioms

1. handwriting on the wall, a premonition, portent, or clear indication, especially of failure or disaster: Also writing on the wall.

   The company had ignored the handwriting on the wall and was plunged into bankruptcy.

handwriting British  

/ ˈhændˌraɪtɪŋ /

noun

1. writing by hand rather than by typing or printing

2. a person's characteristic writing style

   that signature is in my handwriting

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Etymology

Origin of handwriting

1375–1425; late Middle English hand writyng; see hand + writing

Explanation

The process of writing something with a pen or pencil is handwriting. And you can call the way you write your handwriting too. By the time you finish the handwriting of a hundred Christmas cards, your handwriting will probably be illegible. When you're taking notes or working on your novel, your process can involve typing, dictating, or handwriting — scrawling on a piece of paper with a pen. Your typical style of scrawl is also called your handwriting — it's the script in which you write. Doctors are kind of famous for having terrible handwriting, while elementary school teachers tend to have very tidy, legible handwriting.

Example Sentences

Handwriting analysts who said the hotel registration form signed by the attacker was consistent with Diab's script were also dismissed as inconclusive.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2023

Kate Gladstone, 60, started Handwriting Repair, a handwriting coaching business based in Albany, New York, in 1987.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 26, 2023

Handwriting notes feels great with the included stylus, with pen strokes appearing on the screen near-instantaneously and 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity that offer a lot of versatility.

From The Verge • Jun. 4, 2022

She was excited by Handwriting Without Tears for a day, and then rushed through the letters purposefully, with the letters progressively getting worse and worse.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2021

Handwriting and document analysis were emerging tools in the field of criminal investigation.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• calligraphy
• longhand
• manuscript
• scrawl
• script
• writing