handwritten
Britishadjective
Explanation
Something that's handwritten is written with a pen or a pencil — not typed or printed. A handwritten thank-you letter is a pleasant surprise these days. Formal documents are almost always typed or sent electronically, and not handwritten. It's increasingly common for letters, invitations, and birthday greetings to be sent this way as well — which makes handwritten notes and greetings all the more intimate and meaningful. If you send handwritten invitations to a party, you write each one out by hand.
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.
It also lends the sandwich the air of something procured from a real cute deli, perhaps one with handwritten menu boards and expensive sparkling water.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
On July 13, the Supreme Court barred Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father until after the first round of the election, after he read out a handwritten letter from Jair Bolsonaro on social media.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
On others, handwritten spells manifesting joy or health dance across the white surface.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
It is also the only Met case still run on the 1980s card index system, kept in case a handwritten detail was ever overlooked.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Crick’s handwritten scribbles—A, C, T, and G—still adorn the plates.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
