serif

1 antonym for serif — opposites grouped by meaning.

Noun — A small line added to the end of a main stroke in certain typefaces, such as Times New Roman.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun typography

A small line added to the end of a main stroke in certain typefaces, such as Times New Roman.

“This heading is set in a font without serifs.”

seriph

2. adjective typography

Describing a typeface that has serifs on its letters.

“The report uses a serif font for the body text.”

Opposites

sans serif

Antonyms

sans serif

How to use serif

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

serif typeface serif font sans-serif font serif letters

Serif is a technical term used mainly in typography and design.

Etymology

The origin of serif is not fully settled. It seems to build on older English spellings such as ceriph and seriph, which may in turn trace back to Dutch, either from schreef, meaning a stroke or line, or from a verb describing the shading of letters with fine lines. Some accounts instead point to a Late Latin word for w...

Full origin of serif →

Frequently asked questions

What does serif mean in typography?

A serif is the small line finishing off the end of a stroke in letters of certain typefaces, such as Times New Roman.

What is the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts?

A serif font has these small finishing strokes on its letters, while a sans-serif font does not.

Where does the word serif come from?

Its exact origin is uncertain, with possible roots in an older Dutch word for a stroke or line, or in a Latin word linked to wax writing tablets.

Nearby words

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