autograph
Americannoun
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autographs
plural
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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)
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autographs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
autographed,
past participle, past
-
autographing
present participle
-
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
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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
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To Thine Own Self Be True: Auto
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Do it Yourself: Words Beginning with "AUTO"
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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.
See Examples For:
"There were four Led Zeppelin autographs and a Jim Morrison autograph," Vadym said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Musicaro had once gotten Cher’s autograph, and loved to tell his children stories of celebrity fares.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
"It's been nice for kids who love rugby to come down and get an autograph."
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
As one of the site’s Nation Builders—first-person interpreters portraying figures of Revolutionary America—Smith regularly fields autograph requests and accepts gifts: a custom mug tiled with his own face, a vinyl album of original Jefferson ballads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
“How did you even get in here tonight, Haazim?” said Blackbridge as he scribbled an autograph in a book a fan had thrust at him.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
"There were four Led Zeppelin autographs and a Jim Morrison autograph," Vadym said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Lyndsay Smith, Aston's mum, said she'd never seen the estate so busy, with neighbours treating her son like a "local celebrity" and asking for autographs.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
He was signing autographs and handing out football cards showing him, as Flash Gordon, wearing legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas’ old number 19.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
Billy Ray Smith is at this trendy restaurant, doing autographs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
The flea market was good for records and autographs, but none of the angels mustered an appropriate howdy.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
A dual Logoman Kobe-Jordan autographed card that my syndicate bought for $12.93 million last August is now worth $21 million.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Also included is a signed copy of Morrison Hotel, which has been autographed by all four members.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
Bell signed on with Klutch Sports, the agency of NFL stars including Odell Beckham Jr. and Jalen Hurts, and inked a deal with Leaf Trading Cards for a series of autographed cards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
Car sales soared when Southern dealers gave autographed replicas of Pusser’s club to buyers.
From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2025
All over the walls were framed, autographed photographs of major league stars, and also some political and show business celebrities who would come there to eat, bringing friends.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
He professed a hatred for “literary life” while participating in most of its rituals, from autographing to prize-giving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
“Keep driving it hard, man,” he told one group after autographing their Clippers flag, sounding like that high school kid cheering his teammates up The Hill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2022
The downsides: wrist soreness from autographing copies, bruised egos if the title plummets on Amazon.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2018
By about 4 p.m., a crowd had formed a semicircle around Stewart’s trailer, T-shirts and model cars in hand for autographing.
From New York Times ● Oct. 18, 2018
Marcia was Alec's fiancée before he lost his memory, and she recognizes him when he's in this store autographing books.
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
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.
