calligraphy
noun
cal·lig·ra·phy
kə-ˈli-grə-fē 
1
a
: artistic, stylized, or elegant handwriting or lettering
b
: the art of producing such writing
2
3
: an ornamental line in drawing or painting
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Kalli- is a Greek root meaning "beautiful", and "beautiful" in the case of calligraphy means artistic, stylized, and elegant. Calligraphy has existed in many cultures, including Indian, Persian, and Islamic cultures; Arabic puts a particularly high value on beautiful script, and in East Asia calligraphy has long been considered a major art. Calligraphers in the West use pens with wide nibs, with which they produce strokes of widely differing width within a single letter.
Examples of calligraphy in a Sentence
she specializes in scrollwork with beautiful calligraphy
Recent Examples on the Web
These small-business owners often begin as amateurs pursuing a side gig: students moonlighting as wedding photographers, cashiers doing calligraphy after work.
—
Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Van Sant knows this history well, pointing out that Jobs attributed the aesthetic revolution of early Apple computers to soaking up calligraphy as a dropout hanging around Reed.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
This Golden Gate Park celebration invites participants of all ages to dance along to festive performances, play games for prizes and try their hands at traditional calligraphy, origami and auspicious crafts.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025
They were inspired by treasured calligraphy tools, and each brush features a unique walnut handle with distinctive grain.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calligraphy
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Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025
Van Sant knows this history well, pointing out that Jobs attributed the aesthetic revolution of early Apple computers to soaking up calligraphy as a dropout hanging around Reed.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 3 Feb. 2025
This Golden Gate Park celebration invites participants of all ages to dance along to festive performances, play games for prizes and try their hands at traditional calligraphy, origami and auspicious crafts.
—Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025
They were inspired by treasured calligraphy tools, and each brush features a unique walnut handle with distinctive grain.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for calligraphy
Cite this Entry
“Calligraphy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calligraphy. Accessed 10 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
calligraphy
noun
cal·lig·ra·phy
kə-ˈlig-rə-fē
1
a
: beautiful handwriting
b
: the art of producing such handwriting
calligrapher
noun
-rə-fər
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