English

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

Noun

handwriting ‎(usually uncountable, plural handwritings)

1. The act or process of writing done with the hand, rather than typed or word-processed.
2. The characteristic writing of a particular person.
   • 1895, F. Marion Crawford, Taquisara:

     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":

     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:

     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.

3. Text that was written by hand.

Synonyms

• (the act or process of writing done by hand): longhand
• (text written by hand): manuscript

Related terms

• handwritten
• handwrite
• handwrit

Translations

See also

• cursive

Verb

handwriting

1. present participle of handwrite