Definition

1. Noun:
   • The process of writing by one's own hand: "autography" refers to the act or practice of writing something personally, rather than by a scribe or machine.
   • A manuscript written by the author: It can also mean a document or text that is handwritten by its creator, especially an author.
   • A printing process using a lithographic stone: In historical contexts, "autography" denotes a method of reproducing handwritten text or drawings by transferring them to a lithographic stone for printing.

Usage Examples

• (The handwritten manuscript by the poet.)
• (The act of writing by hand.)
• (The lithographic printing method.)

Advanced Usage

• "in autography": referring to a text that exists in the author's own handwriting.

  • The letter survives in autography, showing the writer's personal style. (The letter is handwritten by the author.)

• "autography as evidence": using handwritten documents to verify authorship or intent.

  • The will was proven genuine through autography. (The handwriting matched the deceased's known script.)

Variants and Related Words

• Autograph (n/v): a person's own signature or handwriting; to sign something personally.
  • She asked the author for an autograph. (A signature.)
• Autographic (adj): relating to or produced by autography.
  • The autographic copy was more valuable than the printed edition. (Handwritten or lithographically reproduced.)
• Autobiography (n): a self-written account of one's own life. (Note: This is a compound word, not a direct variant of "autography," but shares the "auto-" prefix.)

Synonyms

• Handwriting: the style or act of writing by hand.
• Manuscript: a document written by hand.
• Script: handwriting as a form of expression.

Related Idioms

• In one's own hand: written personally by the individual.
  • The note was in her own hand, proving she wrote it. (Handwritten by her.)

Phrasal Verbs

• (None directly associated with "autography"; the word is primarily a noun.)

Note: "Autography" is a specialized term, most commonly encountered in historical, literary, or printing contexts. It is distinct from "autograph" (a signature) and "autobiography" (a life story).