longhand

American  

[lawng-hand, long-] / ˈlɔŋˌhænd, ˈlɒŋ- /

noun

1. writing of the ordinary kind, in which words are written out in full (shorthand ).

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adjective

1. using longhand.

   longhand writing.

2. written in longhand.

   a longhand account of the meeting.

longhand British  

/ ˈlɒŋˌhænd /

noun

1. ordinary handwriting, in which letters, words, etc, are set down in full, as opposed to shorthand or to typing

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Etymology

Origin of longhand

First recorded in 1660–70; long ¹ + hand

Example Sentences

Maas worked with four different law firms and even carried the case on his own for months, writing motions longhand on white legal pads and sending them via U.S. mail.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2024

Escoffery says: "I don't write much longhand, but I write a lot in my head and that's what I did during those pauses. There were 50 or so drafts written."

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2023

She started writing what would become “The Other Black Girl” in longhand, on Knopf stationery — something that helps her be less critical, she said — during quiet moments at her cubicle.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2023

Some city ordinances weren’t even indexed, forcing Birch and Karabian to leaf through the longhand lawbooks page by page, wearing special archival gloves.

From Slate • Aug. 31, 2023

I dug out the index card on which the question was typed in advance and Clay’s response was beneath in longhand.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• calligraphy
• manuscript
• scrawl
• script
• writing