Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for QWERTY. Search instead for qwertys.
Jump To:
  • QWERTY
    QWERTY
    adjective
    of or relating to a keyboard having the keys in traditional typewriter arrangement, with the letters q, w, e, r, t, and y being the first six of the top row of alphabetic characters, starting from the left side.
  • qwerty
    qwerty
    noun
    the standard English language typewriter keyboard layout with the characters q, w, e, r, t, and y positioned on the top row of alphabetic characters at the left side of the keyboard
Trivia Time
What was the reason for having a QWERTY arrangement on keyboards?

QWERTY

American  
[kwur-tee, kwer-] / ˈkwɜr ti, ˈkwɛr- /

adjective

  1. of or relating to a keyboard having the keys in traditional typewriter arrangement, with the letters q, w, e, r, t, and y being the first six of the top row of alphabetic characters, starting from the left side.


qwerty British  
/ ˈkwɜːtɪ /

noun

  1. the standard English language typewriter keyboard layout with the characters q, w, e, r, t, and y positioned on the top row of alphabetic characters at the left side of the keyboard

"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 QWERTY

First recorded in 1925–30


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.

See Examples For:

The idea is to marry Apple’s magical touch screen with BlackBerry’s clicking QWERTY.

From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2015

In a Sept. 25 Lexicon Valley blog post, Kieran Snyder misstated that the TiVO keyboard was not QWERTY.

From Slate ● Oct. 3, 2014

The industry is still struggling with questions of display technology, input and storage, and one of the best efforts so far, the Pebble Steel, even looks eerily like the Tinney watch, sans QWERTY.

From Time ● Apr. 14, 2014

The only people who hate QWERTY, from what I can tell, are Dvorak-layout fans and efficiency experts.

From Forbes ● Mar. 30, 2014

Launched by SnapKeys, it's "a simple, smart alphabetic keyboard for any age that frees up your whole screen", with the somewhat bullish ambition of putting "an end to QWERTY" with its alphabetical layout.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 24, 2013

Within the fair’s 200 buildings, they were dazzled by inventions including an enormous Corliss steam engine, the first typing machine featuring a qwerty keyboard and a working model of a steamship.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

"The dedicated qwerty keyboard was an iconic design," he says.

From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2022

Whether or not the bill passes, it’s imperative for you to change their passwords—and not to 123456, password, or qwerty.

From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2018

Tomlinson might have started with the first five letters on the upper left side of the typewriter, the ubiquitous if meaningless qwerty.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 25, 2016

The main issue that the small size generates is the keyboard. With a screen width of just 2.25 inch, there’s not a lot of space for the on-screen qwerty keyboard.

From Forbes ● Sep. 27, 2014

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com