Calligraphy
/kəˈlɪɡrəfi/
nounIntermediate📊CommonArts
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
The art or skill of beautiful handwriting.
/kəˈlɪɡrəfi/
nounpositiveIntermediate
Arts
The art of beautiful handwriting.
Her calligraphy was exquisite, each stroke precise and graceful.
💡 Simply: Pretty handwriting.
More Examples
2
The ancient scrolls were famous for their intricate calligraphy.
How It's Used
Art
"The museum displayed a stunning collection of calligraphy from various cultures."
Design
"The wedding invitations featured elegant calligraphy."
From Late Latin *calligraphia, from Greek καλλιγραφία (kalligraphía), from καλλί- (kallí-, "beautiful") + γραφή (graphḗ, "writing").
Calligraphy has been a valued art form for centuries, playing a crucial role in the preservation and transmission of knowledge before the printing press.
Memory tip
Think 'calli' as in 'beautiful' and 'graphy' as in 'writing'.
Word Origin
LanguageGreek
Original meaning
"beautiful writing"
beautiful calligraphyelegant calligraphyintricate calligraphy
Common misspellings
caligraphycalligriphycalligrafy
Practice
Usage
10%Spoken
90%Written