handwriting

noun

ˈhand-ˌrī-tiŋ How to pronounce handwriting (audio)
Definition of handwritingnext
1
as in scribble
the form or style of a particular person's writing she immediately recognized the handwriting on the envelope as that of her old college roommate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in calligraphy
writing done by hand the columnist laments the decline of fine handwriting, as so few people write letters by hand anymore

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of handwriting The teachers scanned their work and used AI to analyze how their handwriting could improve. — Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026 Her handwriting and symbol were briefly rendered at football-field scale. — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Decades later, Denise Epstein opened a leather case of her mother’s and discovered a manuscript set forth in tiny handwriting. — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Little is more magical than opening the mailbox and seeing the handwriting of a loved one. — Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for handwriting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for handwriting
  1. scribble
  2. calligraphy
  3. hand
  4. lettering
  5. script
  6. penmanship
  7. signature
  8. print
Noun
  • The scribble-scratch of a notepad pushed against the silence.
    — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • But autos were precarious contraptions at the start of the 20th century, and America’s national system of roads was little more than a faint scribble on the map.
    — Danny Heitman, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of scribble
Noun
  • Buly is hosting free calligraphy courses in its Central boutique in Hong Kong and in Hong Kong, The Louis is updating two galleries to explore the houses’ love of Art Deco and its ties with China.
    — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Inspired by a Miró retrospective from earlier that year, and having learned about Matisse via Krasner, Pollock trials a variety of marks, from broad, clean planes of blue, orange, and black to jazzy calligraphy.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of calligraphy
Noun
  • Observers say a victory for Yotova would keep the presidency in the hands of the ruling majority.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of hand
Noun
  • The upgrades include digital kiosks, a new monument sign and more prominent lettering across the main gate.
    — James Taylor, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • After someone speaks or texts words into its app, the small plastic device quickly converts them into Braille lettering on durable metal labels for anything from bleach to bus stop signs.
    — Richard Eisenberg, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of lettering
Noun
  • Its sales representatives are individually building personal Gmail scripts, at night, in Google Apps Script, to survive an inbox that the AI-first version of the same company would have automated a year ago.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • To be fair, the fault here lies equally with the scripts, which dump information without first creating suspense.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of script
Noun
  • The messages, scribbled on whatever scrap of paper a sender could find, often featured misspellings and shaky penmanship; many older residents of rural areas did not know how to read or write well, if at all.
    — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Some handwriting experts wondered whether a lack of panache in penmanship was generational.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of penmanship
Noun
  • He is alleged to have forged West’s signature on the permit application, but the telephone number listed was his own, the arrest affidavit said.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 21 Oct. 2026
  • From Burbank to West Covina, lines tend to form out the door at each of the chain’s locations, with patrons ordering boxes of their signature potato balls, cheese rolls and other pastries.
    — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of signature
Noun
  • For the second round of celebrations on Saturday evening, Drake traded his debonair tuxedo for a cheetah-print Chrome Hearts jacket and bright red leather trousers.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Those were taken out of the story because of the vast colorways and prints available in the other picks in this list, but AD editors still stand behind the quality.
    — Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of print

Phrases Containing handwriting

Browse Nearby Words

hand-wringing
handwriting
handwriting on the wall
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Cite this Entry

“Handwriting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/handwriting. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on handwriting

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about handwriting

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