Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

alphabetic

American  
[al-fuh-bet-ik] / ˌæl fəˈbɛt ɪk /

adjective

  1. relating to, expressed by, or using an alphabet.

    The language uses alphabetic writing.

  2. alphabetical.


Other Word Forms

  • nonalphabetic adjective
  • unalphabetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of alphabetic

First recorded in 1640–50; from French alphabétique, from Late Latin alphabēticus, equivalent to alphabet ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Next to the pottery, the researchers found four lightly baked clay cylinders with what seems to be alphabetic writing on them.

From Science Daily • Nov. 20, 2024

It used a combination of alphabetic signs, syllabic signs, word signs, and pictures of objects.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

Here is my alphabetic rundown of the past 12 months.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2022

As the scientists explain in an article published Wednesday in the Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology, the 17 letters on the comb form the oldest full, decipherable sentence ever found in an early alphabetic script.

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2022

He lets the book take his mind on an alphabetic ride through bird names, bird songs, and bird predictability.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers