Typographic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the style, arrangement, and appearance of printed letters and text
2. Concerning the design elements, arrangement, and aesthetic presentation of printed text and characters in various media
3. Connected with the design and layout of printed letters and text style

Etymology: "Typographic" is simply "typography" with the adjective-forming suffix "-ic" added. The suffix descends from Greek "-ikos" through Latin "-icus" and Old French "-ique," and it reached English in Middle English as "-ik" before taking its modern form. Its ancestry runs back to a Proto-Indo-European ending, but in English it works as a plain tool for turning a noun into a "relating to" adjective, so "typographic" means relating to typography, the art and craft of arranging type. The base word, "typography," is the more interesting part of the chain. It combines Greek "typos," meaning impression or mark, with "-graphy," meaning writing or recording, so the word literally describes writing by way of impressions. Its meaning followed the printing press: an impression stamped onto a page became the name for the whole business of setting and arranging printed letters.

Synonyms: typographical, graphic