uppercase

1 of 4

adjective

up·​per·​case ˌə-pər-ˈkās How to pronounce uppercase (audio)
: capital sense 1

uppercase

2 of 4

noun (1)

: capital letters

uppercase

3 of 4

verb

uppercased; uppercasing

transitive verb

: to print or set in capital letters

upper case

4 of 4

noun (2)

: a type case containing capitals and usually small capitals, fractions, symbols, and accents

Examples of uppercase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
But his uppercase blasts, chest-thumping rants and coarse insults are more likely now to draw a Gallic shrug. — Serge Schmemann, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026 Personalize the front with three uppercase letters, and get ready to become a hostess's dream guest. — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026
Noun
Dave looked at the cover and recognized his father’s neat handwriting in all uppercase. — Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2022 Architects do something similar because uppercase is easy to read. — Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 12 Sep. 2024
Verb
Make sure your employees’ passwords follow best security practices, such as containing 10 characters or more, uppercase and lowercase letters and at least one number and special character. — Akram Atallah, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2022
Noun
The script does have a string to upper case function, but that’s only for the output. — Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2011 This post is typed as a shouting tantrum (all upper case) and claims to be written by a man who called corporate headquarters in Charlotte where he was informed of this. — Bill Hand, USA TODAY, 10 June 2020 See All Example Sentences for uppercase

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from the compositor's practice of keeping capital letters in the upper of a pair of type cases

First Known Use

Adjective

1738, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

circa 1916, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1683, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of uppercase was in 1683

Rhymes for uppercase

See All Rhymes for uppercase

Browse Nearby Words

Upper Canada
uppercase
upper case
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uppercase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uppercase. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

uppercase

adjective
up·​per·​case
ˌəp-ər-ˈkās
: capital entry 1 sense 2
uppercase noun

More from Merriam-Webster on uppercase

Nglish: Translation of uppercase for Spanish Speakers

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