Definition of penmanshipnext
1
as in handwriting
the form or style of a particular person's writing doctors are famous for their illegible penmanship

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2
as in calligraphy
writing done by hand the students spend far more time honing their computer skills than they do improving their penmanship

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of penmanship Well-known for his penmanship of the Ferrari Enzo over 25 years ago, Japanese designer Ken Okuyama chose the glamorous surroundings of Monterey Car Week to unveil his latest—and perhaps most ambitious—creation, the Kode89. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 But while in his penmanship, the recipe still has her hands all over it. — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 3 July 2026 Many pointed to an episode from the month prior, where a response from contestant Sadie Goldberger was not accepted because of her penmanship. — Louis Peitzman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 June 2026 For one project, Gentry combined penmanship samples from her family members to invent a unique font for a fictional restaurant’s branding. — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 7 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for penmanship
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penmanship
Noun
  • Bahdanau was working with artificial neural networks, which had already shown promise in pattern-recognition tasks such as deciphering handwriting and identifying objects in photos.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Some handwriting experts wondered whether a lack of panache in penmanship was generational.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Buly is hosting free calligraphy courses in its Central boutique in Hong Kong and in Hong Kong, The Louis is updating two galleries to explore the houses’ love of Art Deco and its ties with China.
    — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Inspired by a Miró retrospective from earlier that year, and having learned about Matisse via Krasner, Pollock trials a variety of marks, from broad, clean planes of blue, orange, and black to jazzy calligraphy.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Penmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penmanship. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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