cursive

1 of 2

adjective

cur·sive ˈkər-siv

Synonyms of cursive next

: running, coursing: such as

of writing : flowing often with the strokes of successive characters joined and the angles rounded

: having a flowing, easy, impromptu character

cursively adverb

cursiveness noun

cursive

2 of 2

noun

: a manuscript written in cursive writing

also : cursive writing

: a style of printed letter resembling handwriting

Examples of cursive in a Sentence

Noun He writes in cursive when he takes notes.

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.

Adjective

In the first photo, Sterling can be seen doodling on a drawing board while sitting in a fully pink car seat that's personalized with her name at the top in black, cursive letters. —

Emma Aerin Becker, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024 The online archive was unveiled in October 2006, a simple build with cursive text and religious imagery. —

Kyle MacNeill, WIRED, 30 Sep. 2024

Noun

So Jade goes to the second Bottle Tree and finds many of the exact same numbers (in cursive this time) and thinks there must be a key—some way of interpreting their meaning and how they can be used to help. —

Erik Kain, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 An early photo, my grandmother’s flowery cursive on the back — Danny age 9, Vince age 8, Poppy age 6 — lined up on a brown striped couch, posing with mugs of hot chocolate in their pajamas. —

Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cursive

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Medieval Latin cursīvus, from Latin cursus, past participle of currere "to run" + -īvus -ive — more at current entry 1

Note: The word cursīva (scrīptūra "writing" presumably understood) is used for scripts by the German Benedictine monk and scribe Leonhard Wagner (Leonardus Wirchlin, 1453-1522) in Proba centum scripturarum una manu exaratarum (1507), which named and exemplified a hundred different hands from the 11th century to the author's own day. It is unclear if the word was used earlier. (There is no lemma for cursīvus in the Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch.) For Latin cursus as the past participle of currere—for expected *co(r)stus—see note at course entry 1.

Noun

derivative of cursive entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1784, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of cursive was circa 1784

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cursive. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

cursive

adjective

cur·sive

ˈkər-siv

: written or formed with the strokes of the letters joined together and the angles rounded

cursive handwriting

cursive noun

cursively adverb

Last Updated: 20 Nov 2024 - Updated example sentences

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cursive

adjective

noun

Examples of cursive in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near cursive

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition