stylus

noun

sty·​lus ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(-ə)-ˌlī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz 

: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: such as

a

: an instrument used by the ancients in writing on clay or waxed tablets

b

: a hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a reproducing machine

c(1)

: needle sense 3c

(2)

: a cutting tool used to produce an original record groove during disc recording

d

: a pen-shaped pointing device used for entering data (such as positional information from a graphics tablet) into a computer

Examples of stylus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unfortunately, the tool doesn't work with touch monitors for annotating with a stylus. —PC Magazine, 28 May 2025

And then a 2021 study suggested memory retention is better when using a pen and paper versus a stylus and tablet. —New Atlas, 25 May 2025

Logitech’s expansion into mixed reality accessories, such as the MX Ink stylus for Meta Quest, reflects its ambition to stay relevant in emerging computing environments. —Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025

For an extra $50, there's the Marker Plus upgrade, which adds an eraser on the other end of the stylus. —Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 18 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin stylus, stilus spike, stylus — more at style

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stylus

• eyeless
• majlis
• xylose

Kids Definition

stylus

noun

sty·​lus ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz 

1

: an instrument used by the ancients for writing on wax tablets

2

: needle entry 1 sense 4

Medical Definition

stylus

noun

sty·​lus

variants also stilus

ˈstī-ləs 

plural styli ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī  also styluses ˈstī-lə-səz  or stili or stiluses

: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: as

a

: a hard-pointed instrument for punching the dots in writing braille with a braille slate

b

: a device that traces a recording (as of an electrocardiograph) on paper