autograph

1 of 3

noun

au·​to·​graph ˈȯ-tə-ˌgraf 

: something written or made with one's own hand:

a

: an original manuscript or work of art

b

: a person's handwritten signature

autography

ȯ-ˈtä-grə-fē 

noun

autograph

2 of 3

adjective

: being in the writer's own handwriting : not copied or duplicated

an autograph letter

autograph

3 of 3

verb

autographed; autographing; autographs

transitive verb

1

: to write with one's own hand

2

: to write one's signature in or on

autograph a book

Synonyms

Noun

• hand
• John Hancock
• signature

Verb

• ink
• sign
• subscribe

Examples of autograph in a Sentence

Noun

We asked her for her autograph.

There were several autograph seekers outside the theater.

Verb

asked the baseball player to autograph the bill of his cap

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The footage, taken at a 2023 memorabilia event in Chicago where Favre was signing autographs, shows Gastineau accusing him of deliberately taking a sack in 2001 that allowed New York Giants star Michael Strahan to break Gastineau’s longstanding single-season sack record. —Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024

After an Iowa win over Wisconsin in January, Clark signs autographs for her fans Hilary Swift—The New York Times/Redux This whole contretemps still annoys Clark. —Sean Gregory, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024

Adjective

Lamar Jackson is coming back to the Louisville area this weekend when the former University of Louisville quarterback holds two autograph signing events at Planet Fitness clubs. —Jake Lourim, The Courier-Journal, 9 Jan. 2018

That attracted autograph seekers and fans waiting for Manning to arrive. —Clifton Brown, Indianapolis Star, 5 Oct. 2017

Verb

Released on Friday morning (Dec. 13), each collector’s item purchase comes with a certificate of authenticity autographed by LL Cool J himself. —Michael Saponara, Billboard, 13 Dec. 2024

Among the lots are classical scores autographed by famous composers like Beethoven, Brahms, and Debussy, a 15th century copy of Virgil’s Aeneid once owned by British Prime Minister William Gladstone, and a compendium of early alchemical texts circa 1400 CE Italy. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from New Latin autographum "manuscript in a person's own handwriting, the author's own manuscript," noun derivative from neuter of Latin autographus "written in one's own hand," borrowed from Greek autógraphos, from auto- auto- + -graphos -graph

Note: Early Modern English has besides autograph the forms with Latin and Greek endings autographum and autographon. Compare French (sixteenth century) aftographe, autographe "manuscript in the hand of the author," another possible direct source for the English word.

Adjective

borrowed from Latin & Greek; Latin autographus "written in one's own hand," borrowed from Greek autógraphos — more at autograph entry 1

Verb

derivative of autograph entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1605, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing autograph

• autograph book

Kids Definition

autograph

1 of 2 noun

au·​to·​graph ˈȯt-ə-ˌgraf 

: a person's signature written by hand

autograph

2 of 2 verb

: to write one's signature in or on