autograph

From Latin autographum, in turn from Ancient Greek αὐτόγραφον (autógraphon, “a writing in one’s own hand”). Equivalent to auto- +‎ -graph.

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔːtəɡɹɑːf/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

autograph (plural autographs)

1. A person’s own handwriting, especially the signature of a famous or admired person.

   Some autograph-hunters were pestering the players after the game.

2. (by extension, colloquial) A person's signature used as a mark of formal approval.

   If you could just put your autograph on the ol' contract, please...

3. A manuscript in the author’s handwriting.

• (person’s own handwriting): penmanship, handwriting, chirography
• (personal signature): signature, inscription (inexact)
• (manuscript in author’s hand): protograph, holograph, archetype, original

• allograph
• homograph
• isograph

autograph (not comparable)

1. Written in the author’s own handwriting.
2. (art) Made by the artist himself or herself; authentic.
   • 1979, Nancy L Pressly, The Fuseli Circle in Rome, Yale Center for British Art, p. 37:

     Schiff […] believes most of the drawings are autograph.

   • 1992, Malise Forbes Adam, Mary Mauchline, edited by Wendy Wassyng Roworth, Angelica Kauffman, Reaktion Books, published 1992, page 116:

     Not surprisingly, he attributed to Kauffman two important works that are no longer accepted as autograph.

autograph (third-person singular simple present autographs, present participle autographing, simple past and past participle autographed)

1. (transitive) To sign, or write one’s name or signature on a book etc
2. (transitive) To write something in one's own handwriting