printing

1 of 2

noun

print·​ing ˈprin-tiŋ How to pronounce printing (audio)
Synonyms of printingnext
1
: the act or product of one that prints
2
: reproduction in printed form
3
: the art, practice, or business of a printer
4
: impression sense 7a
5
printings plural : paper to be printed on

printing

2 of 2

present participle of print entry 2

Examples of printing in a Sentence

Noun The book is already in its second printing, and a third printing is scheduled for later this year. The book has had two printings of 100,000 copies each. Her printing is very neat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Lightning designs, speed printing, a tighter supply chain, and better digital marketing allowed Fanatics to offer fan gear for purchase within minutes of a big win or championship, because that’s when avidity is at its highest. — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 9 Oct. 2026 This includes warp and weft knitting, dyeing, digital, flat-bed and heat-transfer printing, stentering and finishing proficiencies. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026 It's got high-quality photo printing with six-color Claria Photo HD ink and high print resolution, delivering incredibly colorful, detailed images. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 Lichtenstein rose to prominence for canvases that drew inspiration from bold black outlines, flat bright colors, and fields of dots that defined commercial printing across comic books, advertisements, and newspapers. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for printing

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of printing was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing printing

Rhymes for printing

See All Rhymes for printing

Browse Nearby Words

printhead
printing
printing frame
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Printing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/printing. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

printing

noun
print·​ing ˈprint-iŋ How to pronounce printing (audio)
1
: the process of putting something in printed form
2
: the art or business of a printer

More from Merriam-Webster on printing

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for printing

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about printing

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All