Definition

The skill or art of writing neatly and effectively with a pen or pencil.

Example

Her penmanship was so beautiful that everyone admired her notes.

Conversation

Have you seen my notes from class?

Yeah, your penmanship is really nice — I can read everything!

Thanks! I try to keep my penmanship neat and organized.

It definitely pays off; neat writing makes studying so much easier.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Penmanship → It is formed from "pen" (from Latin "penna", meaning feather or quill) and "-manship" (from Old English "-scipe", meaning the art or skill of). The word "penmanship" refers to the skill or art of writing with a pen.

Memory Tip

Think of a 'pen' (a tool for writing) and '-manship' (the skill of doing something) to remember that penmanship is the skill of writing with a pen.

Visually Confused Words