stenography

noun

ste·​nog·​ra·​phy stə-ˈnä-grə-fē How to pronounce stenography (audio)
1
: the art or process of writing in shorthand
2
: shorthand especially written from dictation or oral discourse
3
: the making of shorthand notes and subsequent transcription of them
stenographic adjective
stenographically adverb

Examples of stenography in a Sentence

Secretaries must be able to do stenography.
Recent Examples on the Web His mother, Dorothy (Siegel) Gitlin, taught typing and stenography. New York Times, 5 Feb. 2022 Many science journalists have come to accept a frankly unacceptable level of mediocrity in our own practice, including playing an odd blame game whenever mistakes are made, and tolerating stenography. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2012 His grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and his parents were high school teachers — his father taught history, his mother typing and stenography — and liberal Democrats. Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2022 In her 20s, June Frendt learned typing and stenography at Stevens-Henager Business College. Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 July 2021 No network or media outlet is under any obligation to serve as the White House stenography office. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 4 Dec. 2020 The finishing touches were applied after the world had shut down, making the album feel less like a warning about a dark but still avoidable future and more like musical stenography documenting our current predicament. Daniel Alarcón, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2020 My father finished high school; my mother learned stenography at a vocational school and got her first job at sixteen. Laurent Dubreuil, Harper's Magazine, 18 Aug. 2020 Frost's stenography work introduced her to two employers that would have a large impact on her future: architect Bradford Lee Gilbert and the U.S. District Court. Jennifer Billock, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stenography.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1602, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stenography was in 1602

Dictionary Entries Near stenography

Cite this Entry

“Stenography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stenography. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stenography

noun
ste·​nog·​ra·​phy stə-ˈnäg-rə-fē How to pronounce stenography (audio)
: the art or process of writing in shorthand
stenographic adjective
stenographically adverb
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