See also: hand-writing

English edit

 
A handwritten list of Anglican bishops of England, probably copied from a 17th-century book called Angliæ Notitia, or The Present State of England

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

hand +‎ writing

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈhændɹaɪtɪŋ/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: hand‧writ‧ing

Noun edit

handwriting (usually uncountable, plural handwritings)

  1. The act or process of writing done with the hand, rather than typed or word-processed.
  2. Text that was written by hand.
  3. The characteristic writing of a particular person.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. [], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, [], →OCLC, pages 284–285:
      He took up the letter: well did he know the delicate and graceful handwriting; but he saw that the characters were tremulous, and it had obviously been written at different times.
    • 1895, F. Marion Crawford, Taquisara[1]:
      It was still early in the morning when Elettra brought her a letter, bearing the postmark of the city, and addressed in one of those small, clear handwritings which seem naturally to belong to scholars and students.
    • 1893, Joseph B. Lightfoot, Essays on "Supernatural Religion"[2]:
      In some handwritings of the seventh or eighth century, where the letters have a round form, the substitution of OT for EG would be far from difficult.
    • 1914, P. S. Allen, The Age of Erasmus[3]:
      Great libraries are only just beginning to gather up the manuscript minutiae which their books contain; to identify handwritings; to decipher monograms; to collect facts.
  4. (by extension) A characteristic trait or hallmark by which somebody may be recognised.
    • 2013, Chris Payne, High Crimes And Low Stakes: Chris Payne, page 259:
      And, my friend believes, Armedov is getting paid by...? Yes, our friends at Langley! CIA handwriting all over it, he reckons!
    • 2016, Nilgin Yusuf, Fashion's Front Line, page 112:
      The show needs to portray the designer's handwriting but it should also be innovative too.

Synonyms edit

Derived terms edit

Related terms edit

Translations edit

See also edit

Verb edit

handwriting

  1. present participle and gerund of handwrite