definitions

calligraphy

[ kuh-lig-ruh-fee ]
/ kəˈlɪg rə fi /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR calligraphy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

fancy penmanship, especially highly decorative handwriting, as with a great many flourishes: She appreciated the calligraphy of the 18th century.
handwriting; penmanship.
the art of writing beautifully: He studied calligraphy when he was a young man.
a script, usually cursive, although sometimes angular, produced chiefly by brush, especially Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic writing of high aesthetic value.
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.

RELATED CONTENT

Bullet Journaling And Other Writing Trends That Keep Coming BackRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

writing, print, handwriting, script, manuscript, scrawl, longhand, chirography, fist, hand, penmanship, letters, characters, scribble, autograph, cuneiform, shorthand, hieroglyphics, style, mark

Nearby words

calles, plutarco elías, calli-, callicrates, calligraph, calligrapher, calligraphy, callimachus, calling, calling card, calliope, calliopean

Origin of calligraphy

First recorded in 1605–15, calligraphy is from the Greek word kalligraphía beautiful writing. See calli-, -graphy
Related formscal·lig·ra·pher, cal·lig·ra·phist, nouncal·li·graph·ic [kal-i-graf-ik] /ˌkæl ɪˈgræf ɪk/, cal·li·graph·i·cal, adjectivecal·li·graph·i·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for calligraphy

British Dictionary definitions for calligraphy

calligraphy

/ (kəˈlɪɡrəfɪ) /

noun

handwriting, esp beautiful handwriting considered as an artAlso called: chirography
Derived Formscalligrapher or calligraphist, nouncalligraphic (ˌkælɪˈɡræfɪk), adjectivecalligraphically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for calligraphy

calligraphy

n.

1610s, from Greek kaligraphia, from kallos "beauty" + graphein "to write" (see -graphy). Related: Calligraphic. The usual comb. form in Greek was kalli- "beautiful, fine, happy, favorable;" kalo- was a later, rarer alternative form.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper