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

The big divide in the world of typeface is between serif, or letters with small lines or tails attached to their edges, and sans serif, letters without those lines that have a smoother look.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2024

Homes around it got fresh paint, sans serif house numbers and were flipped for $1 million and more.

From Washington Post • Feb. 2, 2023

Occupied by the British in June, 1900, the available South African Republic stamps having the Dutch name overprinted "Cancelled" and the addition of the sans serif letters, separated by hyphens "V-R-I." in blue and red.

From The Postage Stamp in War by Melville, Fred. J.