sans serif

American  

[sanz] / sænz /

noun

Printing.

1. a style of monotonal type without serifs.

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sans serif British  

/ sænˈsɛrɪf /

noun

1. a style of printer's typeface in which the characters have no serifs

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Other Word Forms

• sans-serif adjective

Etymology

Origin of sans serif

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Its name is a pun on the sans serif group of typefaces, and the island was depicted as being shaped like a semi-colon.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2025

This time she wrote her messages in a childlike sans serif that a designer friend of the artist later turned into a custom font, for more efficient printing.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2024

Several experts said the research now leans strongly toward the conclusion that sans serif fonts are more readable, but there is a decades-long history of disagreement.

From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2023

“Good practice would be the use of a sans serif font,” the service said in an accessibility guide.

From Washington Post • Jan. 18, 2023

Special Transcriber's Notes: Text surrounded by ~ originally printed in a sans serif typeface.

From George Cruikshank by Chesson, W. H.