Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Uppercase, capital: Refers to large letters, especially those used at the beginning of sentences or for proper nouns. It describes the form of a letter, not its size in a specific font.
   • Of or relating to a style of writing: Pertaining to ancient and medieval scripts characterized by rounded, separated capital letters, used from approximately the 4th to the 8th centuries.

2. Noun:

   • A large alphabetic character: One of the capital letters (e.g., A, B, C) used as the first letter in writing proper names, at the beginning of sentences, or for emphasis. Historically, these metal type pieces were kept in the upper half of a typesetter's case.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The document's title was written in majuscule letters.
  • The inscription was in a beautiful majuscule script.

• Noun:

  • Every sentence should begin with a majuscule.
  • The poet used a majuscule for emphasis in the middle of the line.

Advanced Usage

• Majuscule script: Specifically refers to formal book hands of late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, such as Uncial or Rustic Capitals, where writing is done entirely in capital letters.
  • The Codex Sinaiticus is a famous example of a Bible written in a Greek majuscule script.

Variants and Related Words

• Majuscule writing (n): The practice or style of writing using only capital letters.
• Majuscular (adj): A less common adjective form meaning relating to or being a majuscule.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Uppercase, capital, uncial (when referring to the specific script style).
• Noun: Capital letter, uppercase letter, cap (informal), uncial (specific style).

Antonyms

• Adjective & Noun: Minuscule, lowercase, small letter.

Related Phrases and Contexts

• Majuscule and minuscule: The pair of terms describing the two basic sets of letters in bicameral (two-case) script systems like the Roman alphabet.
  • The development of majuscule and minuscule forms revolutionized Western handwriting.
• To write in majuscules: To write using only capital letters.
  • He angrily wrote the note in majuscules.

Adjective

1. uppercase
   • capital A
   • great A
   • many medieval manuscripts are in majuscule script
2. of or relating to a style of writing characterized by somewhat rounded capital letters; 4th to 8th centuries

Noun

1. one of the large alphabetic characters used as the first letter in writing or printing proper names and sometimes for emphasis; capitals were kept in the upper half of the type case and so became known as upper-case letters"
   • printers once kept the type for capitals and for small letters in separate cases