cursive

1 of 2

adjective

cur·​sive ˈkər-siv 

: running, coursing: such as

a

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

b

: having a flowing, easy, impromptu character

cursively adverb

cursiveness noun

cursive

2 of 2

noun

1

: a manuscript written in cursive writing

also : cursive writing

2

: 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

Adjective

Tacked in the middle of the work was a cutout from a piece of paper on which tiny cursive letters had been written; the cutout was encircled by the branching arm of a tree. —Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024

The ink features Hayden and Lucas’ monikers linked together in thin cursive handwriting. —Emily Krauser, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024

Noun

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

Add place cards to each setting, with your guests’ names written in cursive. —Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 July 2024

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

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