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
Did you know?
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
Festivities include lion and dragon dances, live music, Asian food, a calligraphy art demonstration, an Asian Story Theater and martial arts demonstrations.
—
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
On February 1, the New York Chinese Cultural Center, in partnership with the South Street Seaport Museum, is throwing a Lunar New Year bash complete with lion dancing, Chinese crafts, and calligraphy workshops at the seaport in downtown Manhattan.
—Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 28 Jan. 2025
Games had participants of all ages exploring the various corners of the center, one housing a calligraphy station for writing well wishes for Tet, and another with kids activities, including two different play kitchens — one American and the other traditional Vietnamese.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025
To save further, address the invitations yourself and reduce calligraphy costs.
—Virginia Van Zanten, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2025
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Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2025
On February 1, the New York Chinese Cultural Center, in partnership with the South Street Seaport Museum, is throwing a Lunar New Year bash complete with lion dancing, Chinese crafts, and calligraphy workshops at the seaport in downtown Manhattan.
—Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 28 Jan. 2025
Games had participants of all ages exploring the various corners of the center, one housing a calligraphy station for writing well wishes for Tet, and another with kids activities, including two different play kitchens — one American and the other traditional Vietnamese.
—Kate Bradshaw, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2025
To save further, address the invitations yourself and reduce calligraphy costs.
—Virginia Van Zanten, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for calligraphy
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Cite this Entry
“Calligraphy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calligraphy. Accessed 9 Feb. 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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