autograph
Americannoun
-
a person's own signature.
He collects autographs of artists.
-
something written in a person's own hand, as a manuscript or letter.
adjective
-
written by a person's own hand.
an autograph letter.
-
containing autographs.
an autograph album.
verb (used with object)
-
to write one's name on or in; sign.
to autograph a book.
-
to write with one's own hand.
noun
-
-
a handwritten signature, esp that of a famous person
-
( as modifier )
an autograph album
-
-
a person's handwriting
-
-
a book, document, etc, handwritten by its author; original manuscript; holograph
-
( as modifier )
an autograph letter
-
verb
-
to write one's signature on or in; sign
-
to write with one's own hand
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
autographsimple
-
autographssimple
-
have autographedperfect
-
has autographedperfect
-
am autographingprogressive
-
are autographingprogressive
-
is autographingprogressive
-
have been autographingperfect progressive
-
has been autographingperfect progressive
Past
-
autographedsimple
-
had autographedperfect
-
was autographingprogressive
-
were autographingprogressive
-
had been autographingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of autograph
1630–40; < Latin autographum, noun use of neuter of Latin autographus written with one's own hand < Greek autógraphos. See auto- 1, -graph
Explanation
If you sign your name on something, you autograph it. You have to autograph a check before it can be cashed. An autograph is a signature. Famous people are asked for their autographs all the time, but you might be surprised and flattered if a little girl asked for yours after you played Dorothy in your community theater production of "The Wizard of Oz." An original manuscript or musical composition written in the handwriting of the author or composer is also called an autograph. In 1938, the Museum of Modern Art displayed an autograph of Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer."
Vocabulary lists containing autograph
Write On!: Graph and Gram
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Do it Yourself: Words Beginning with "AUTO"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Musicaro had once gotten Cher’s autograph, and loved to tell his children stories of celebrity fares.
From Slate • Jul. 7, 2026
Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, Duke Ellington—and once waited in the lobby of Coleman Hawkins’s building so he could get the tenor saxophonist’s autograph.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
And it was illegal to get an autograph, but I got it.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
"I'll ask for your autograph, because I don't really ask for autographs much, but you deserve that," he told them.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
“I asked him if he’d autograph a baseball and hit it over the wall. I told him I’d auction it off. Said we’d split fifty-fifty.”
From "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
