Meaning & use
pencilling
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“pencilling” is a form of “pencil”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Writing, drawing, or marking something with a pencil; also, arranging something temporarily so it can be changed later.
Grammar: As a verb it can take an object ('pencilling the date') or stand alone ('she sat pencilling quietly'), and it is often used in the continuous form.
Patterns
- pencil something in
- pencil someone in for something
- be pencilled in for something
- pencil something into something
She is pencilling the final details into her notebook before the meeting starts.
The editor is pencilling in a short interview for Friday, but the time may change.
He spent the afternoon pencilling a rough map of the hiking route.
noununcountable
The act or result of drawing or writing with a pencil, especially light marks or notes.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun for the activity or the marks made; it is not usually used with 'a' or in the plural.
Patterns
- the pencilling on something
- light pencilling
The pencilling on the back of the photo shows the date and place.
Careful pencilling around the edges helps you erase mistakes easily.
nouncountable
A thin line or mark made with a pencil, for example on skin or on a surface.
Grammar: Countable when it refers to individual visible lines or marks; the plural is 'pencillings'.
Patterns
- fine pencillings
- pencillings on something
Fine pencillings around her eyes made the portrait look more realistic.
The old wall was covered with faint pencillings left by children.
Word forms
| third person singular | pencils |
|---|---|
| past tense | pencilled |
| past participle | pencilled |
| -ing form | pencilling |
Common combinations
- pencil something in
- Let's pencil the meeting in for Tuesday and confirm later.
- be pencilled in for
- The concert is pencilled in for the last weekend of August.
- pencil a note
- She pencilled a quick note on the corner of the page.
- pencil a sketch
- He pencilled a rough sketch of the building before painting it.
- pencil marks
- Light pencil marks can be rubbed out with a soft eraser.
Synonyms and how they differ
- writing
- A general word for putting words on paper with any tool, while 'pencilling' specifically suggests a pencil and often something temporary.
- sketching
- Used mainly for drawing pictures quickly; 'pencilling' can also mean writing notes or scheduling.
- jotting
- Suggests writing something very briefly and informally, whereas 'pencilling' can describe careful drawing too.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: pencilling or paneling? pencilling or penciling?
pencilling vs paneling
'Paneling' (British 'panelling') means flat wooden boards covering a wall; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with pencils.
pencilling vs penciling
This is the same word with American spelling: one L instead of two. Use 'pencilling' in British English and 'penciling' in American English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pencilling' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrasal verb is 'pencil something in', and with a pronoun or short noun it reads naturally as 'pencil in the appointment'. Option 1 puts 'in' in the wrong place after the noun here, and options 2 and 3 use the wrong prepositions with this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pencilling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.