calligraphy

American  

[kuh-lig-ruh-fee] / kəˈlɪg rə fi /

noun

1. fancy penmanship, especially highly decorative handwriting, as with a great many flourishes.

   She appreciated the calligraphy of the 18th century.

2. handwriting; penmanship.

3. the art of writing beautifully.

   He studied calligraphy when he was a young man.

4. a script, usually cursive, although sometimes angular, produced chiefly by brush, especially Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic writing of high aesthetic value.

5. Fine Arts. line or a group of lines either derived from or resembling letter forms and characterized by qualities usually associated with cursive writing, especially that produced with a brush or pen.

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calligraphy British  

/ kəˈlɪɡrəfɪ, ˌkælɪˈɡræfɪk /

noun

1. Also called: chirography.  handwriting, esp beautiful handwriting considered as an art

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Other Word Forms

• calligrapher noun
• calligraphic adjective
• calligraphical adjective
• calligraphically adverb
• calligraphist noun

Etymology

Origin of calligraphy

First recorded in 1605–15, calligraphy is from the Greek word kalligraphía beautiful writing. See calli-, -graphy

Explanation

Ever see a framed diploma in your doctor's office filled with fancy old fashioned curvy handwriting announcing they trained at such and such a university? Well, that style of writing is calligraphy, and it's mostly used for important public documents. The word calligraphy comes from two Greek words stuck together, kallos, meaning "beauty," and graphein, meaning "to write" — literally "beautiful writing." In the days before printing was invented, all books and documents were written by hand using calligraphy, the most famous examples being the bibles written by medieval monks.

Example Sentences

Signage for new and defunct art galleries appear with letters roasted dry by the relentless California sun until the edges of words peel away, looking like they were written in calligraphy.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

Classes included economics and English, as well as meditation, calligraphy and kendo, a martial art.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Meghan radiates serenity and smiles brightly as she writes her own menus in impeccable calligraphy, guided by renowned chef Alice Waters.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2025

Other events will include the Turner Prize, a national drawing project inspired by Bradford-born artist David Hockney, and an exhibition about the parallels between boxing and calligraphy.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2025

Each door had names tacked on the front in careful calligraphy done by the RA.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• longhand
• manuscript
• scrawl
• script
• writing