longhand

noun

long·​hand ˈlȯŋ-ˌhand How to pronounce longhand (audio)
Synonyms of longhandnext
: handwriting: such as
a
: characters or words written out fully by hand
b
: cursive writing

Synonyms of longhand

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Examples of longhand in a Sentence

She wrote the book in longhand. my computer was down for most of the afternoon, so I wrote out my report in longhand
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
No one really talked about it the rest of the week because the leaderboard was clear without doing longhand math on a whiteboard. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 Former assistant city clerk Denise Tucker, who has been taking longhand minutes for the recount, for the most part gets a break. — Angela George, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 8 July 2026 Our guy is just pecking away at his little typewriter or writing his memories in longhand. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 Schumacher worked longhand, and filled tons of flip notebooks with his words before transferring them onto a typewriter. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for longhand

Word History

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of longhand was in 1666

Rhymes for longhand

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Browse Nearby Words

long-haired chimpanzee
longhand
long handle
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Cite this Entry

“Longhand.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longhand. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

longhand

noun
long·​hand ˈlȯŋ-ˌhand How to pronounce longhand (audio)
1
: the characters or words written out fully by hand
2
: cursive writing
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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