typography
Americannoun
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typographies
plural
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the art or process of printing with type.
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the work of setting and arranging types and of printing from them.
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the general character or appearance of printed matter.
noun
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the art, craft, or process of composing type and printing from it
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the selection and planning of type for printed publications
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of typography
1635–45; < New Latin typographia, equivalent to Greek týpo ( s ) type + graphía -graphy
Explanation
Use the noun typography to describe the art of putting words into print. You might admire the typography of a concert poster that uses an elegant font, for example. When typography began, the process involved choosing the letters, arranging them, and printing with a press on paper. Today, almost anyone can practice typography by using a computer to design and print flyers, magazines, posters, and more. Don't confuse typography with its near-homonym, topography, which is a branch of Earth science. You'll recognize typography by the Greek typos, which means "dent or impression."
Vocabulary lists containing typography
Journalism Jargon
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"Stanford University Commencement Address" by Steve Jobs
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typ (print, form)
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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.
Rainey is a type designer whose passion for her craft equals her son’s for his, and whose knowledge of typography will eventually itself prove heroic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The document has the typography of law and none of its machinery: no adverseness, no authority, no statutory vehicle, no second signature.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Geddes, who is a a designer by trade, said the variety of typography and design was fascinating.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
The lime-green background and blurry typography on the cover of her sixth album, “Brat,” quickly became internet shorthand for the season’s pursuit of devil-may-care indulgence and personal adventure.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
There were the huge printing shops with their subeditors, their typography experts, and their elaborately equipped studios for the faking of photographs.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
