Meaning & use
calligraphy
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The art of forming letters by hand with great care and style, using brushes or special pens.
Grammar: Uncountable: she studies calligraphy, not a calligraphy.
Patterns
- study calligraphy
- calligraphy in something
She took a weekend class in calligraphy.
Chinese calligraphy is admired as a high art form.
The invitation was finished in elegant calligraphy.
nouncountable or uncountable
Handwriting or lettering that looks beautiful, or a piece of writing made in that way.
Grammar: Uncountable for style; countable for a work: a framed calligraphy.
Patterns
- a calligraphy of something
A framed calligraphy hung above the doorway.
His calligraphy looked like flowing ink dancing across the page.
The monks' calligraphy filled each manuscript with flourishes.
Common combinations
- Arabic calligraphy
- Arabic calligraphy decorates the walls of the mosque.
- Chinese calligraphy
- He practised Chinese calligraphy with a brush every morning.
- calligraphy pen
- She bought a calligraphy pen and a bottle of black ink.
- learn calligraphy
- I want to learn calligraphy for wedding cards.
- beautiful calligraphy
- The certificate was written in beautiful calligraphy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- penmanship
- Penmanship is the quality of anyone's handwriting, while calligraphy is a decorative art with set styles.
- lettering
- Lettering is any drawn or painted letters, such as on signs, while calligraphy depends on the movement of a pen or brush.
- handwriting
- Handwriting is ordinary writing by hand, whereas calligraphy is made on purpose to look beautiful.
Opposites
Word family
- calligrapher noun
- a person who practices calligraphy
- calligraphic adjective
- of or like calligraphy
- calligraphically adverb
- in the manner of calligraphy
- calligraphist noun
- another word for a calligrapher
Commonly confused: calligraphy or typography? calligraphy or cursive?
calligraphy vs typography
Typography is the design of printed type, while calligraphy is lettering made by hand.
calligraphy vs cursive
Cursive is joined-up everyday handwriting, while calligraphy is a decorative art that may or may not be joined.
Practice
Which activity is calligraphy?
Choose one answer.
Calligraphy is the careful, decorative art of hand lettering. Typing, scribbling and machine printing do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “calligraphy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.