longhand

[ lawng-hand, long- ]

noun

1. writing of the ordinary kind, in which words are written out in full ( shorthand ).

adjective

1. using longhand:

   longhand writing.

2. written in longhand:

   a longhand account of the meeting.

longhand

/ ˈlɒŋˌhænd /

noun

1. ordinary handwriting, in which letters, words, etc, are set down in full, as opposed to shorthand or to typing

Word History and Origins

Origin of longhand¹

First recorded in 1660–70; long ¹ + hand

Example Sentences

Selleck spent four years writing the book longhand on yellow legal pads, quoting from George Will and Raymond Chandler along the way.

From Seattle Times

Maas worked with four different law firms and even carried the case on his own for months, writing motions longhand on white legal pads and sending them via U.S. mail.

From Seattle Times

And while other companies began to digitize operations, Samyang’s employees did their books in longhand.

From Los Angeles Times

In 1970, he sent her a letter in impeccably neat, angular longhand.

From BBC

Put to task by Aboriginal elders, her job was to take down their every word in longhand.

From New York Times

Related Words

• calligraphy
• manuscript
• scrawl
• script
• writing