Meaning & use
pencilled
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“pencilled” is a form of “pencil”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveBritish
Wrote, drew or marked something with a pencil.
Grammar: Takes an object: she pencilled a note.
Patterns
- pencil something
- pencil something on something
She pencilled a small cross next to the correct answer.
He pencilled the measurements on the wall before drilling.
The artist pencilled a faint outline before adding color.
verbtransitiveBritish
Made a tentative booking or plan that can still be changed, usually put in a diary (pencilled in).
Grammar: Used with in: pencil something in. The object can come before in.
Patterns
- pencil something in
- pencil someone in
I have pencilled in lunch with Sam for Thursday.
The meeting was pencilled in for the first week of June.
She pencilled him in for a Tuesday appointment.
adjectivebefore a nounBritish
Written or drawn with a pencil, as opposed to ink.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: pencilled notes.
Patterns
- pencilled notes
- pencilled outline
The pencilled notes in the margin were hard to read.
The book had a pencilled signature on the first page.
Her pencilled sketch was neater than the final drawing.
Word forms
| base form | pencil |
|---|---|
| third person singular | pencils |
| present participle | pencilling |
| American spelling | penciled |
Common combinations
- pencilled in
- The trip is pencilled in for August.
- pencilled note
- There was a pencilled note on the door.
- pencilled eyebrows
- Her carefully pencilled eyebrows gave her a surprised look.
- pencilled sketch
- He showed us a pencilled sketch of the house.
- pencilled a date
- We pencilled a date for the next meeting.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sketched
- Sketched usually means drawing quickly, while pencilled specifies the tool.
- provisionally booked
- This is a longer, formal way to say pencilled in, which is more casual.
- scribbled
- Scribbled suggests quick, messy writing, whereas pencilled just names the tool.
Opposites
Word family
- pencil noun
- a writing tool with a graphite core
- pencil verb
- to write with a pencil or to plan tentatively
- pencilling noun
- writing or drawing done with a pencil
- penciled verb
- American spelling of the past tense
Commonly confused: pencilled or penciled? pencilled or pensioned?
pencilled vs penciled
Penciled is the American spelling; pencilled with double l is British.
pencilled vs pensioned
Pensioned relates to a retirement payment and has nothing to do with writing.
Practice
We haven't agreed the date, so I have only ___ the meeting for the 14th.
Choose one answer.
Pencilled in means tentatively booked and changeable. Inked would mean fixed in pen, so it does not fit an uncertain plan.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pencilled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.