penmanship

American

[pen-muhn-ship] / ˈpɛn mənˌʃɪp /

noun

the art of handwriting; the use of the pen in writing.
a person's style or manner of handwriting.

clear penmanship; poor penmanship.

penmanship British

/ ˈpɛnmənʃɪp /

noun

Also called: calligraphy. style or technique of writing by hand

"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

Etymology

Origin of penmanship

First recorded in 1685–95; penman + -ship

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.

If interpreting the economy now hinges on fine differences between upper and lowercases, sloppy penmanship could lead to financial ruin.

From Barron's • Dec. 4, 2025

This isn’t to say everyone needs to brush up on penmanship and stop using AI calendars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

Lousy penmanship didn’t stop me from becoming someone whose profession depends on shaping letters.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2024

Isaac believed that William would write in cursive, so he took a penmanship course.

From New York Times • May 21, 2023

In my penmanship class at school, we had recently graduated from pencil to ink.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023