Meanings
plural longhands
- countableuncountableThe written characters used in the common method of writing; opposed to shorthand, or typing or printing; handwriting.
When, however, in any particular case, he has no assured means of determining the true spelling of the name, he should always quietly interrupt the dictater with the request, " Spell it , please," and then write the name in longhand from the dictater's spelling.
1910, Jerome Bird Howard, The Phonographic Amanuensis, page 210Synonyms: handwriting · Antonyms: shorthand
- not comparableWritten by hand (with pen or pencil), rather than printed out; handwritten.
I had to write the essay out twice longhand – they wouldn’t let me print it out. It took forever!
Synonyms: handwritten · Antonyms: print, print out
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe written characters used in the common method of writing; opposed to shorthand, or typing or printing; handwriting.
adverbWritten by hand in normal characters, as opposed to shorthand.
adverbWritten by hand (with pen or pencil), rather than printed out; handwritten.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivehaving words written out in full by hand
nounrapid handwriting in which letters are set down in full and are cursively connected within words without lifting the writing implement from the paper
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From long + hand, by analogy with shorthand.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Polish pismo odręczne, odręcznie
- pismo odręcznecharacters written by hand
- odręczniewritten by hand
Cite this entry
longhand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/longhand
“longhand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/longhand. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “longhand,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/longhand.
Source: longhand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.