Standard Lemma guide

printing

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpɹɪntɪŋ/
  • US: /ˈpɹɪnɪŋ/ in fast speech
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P R IH1 N T IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: P R IH1 N IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The process or business of producing printed material by means of inked type and a printing press or similar technology.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • In those days, printing was big business in this city. Giant web-fed presses churned out countless tons of printed matter annually.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: imprintery

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Synonym of printed matter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • They delivered a huge batch of printing yesterday, so you can expect an invoice shortly.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: printed matter

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Synonym of print run (“all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • She owns a copy of the first printing, which is a favorite among book collectors because some of the typos in it seem like Freudian slips.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: print run

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Handwritten characters that are not joined up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • The instructions said, "Please sign your name and then print your name below your signature," so he wrote out his name underneath in the neatest printing that his hand could muster.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: cursive

Broader terms: handwriting

5

verb

Meaning 5

present participle and gerund of print

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

the business of producing printed material for sale or distribution

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: commercial enterprise, business enterprise, business

Narrower terms: gravure, issue, publication

7

noun

Meaning 7

text handwritten in the style of printed matter

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: writing

8

noun

Meaning 8

all the copies of a work printed at one time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they ran off an initial printing of 2000 copies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: impression

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: publication

Narrower terms: edition, proof, test copy, trial impression, mackle

9

noun

Meaning 9

reproduction by applying ink to paper as for publication

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: printing process

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: writing

Narrower terms: typography, composition, relief printing, letterpress, intaglio printing, intaglio, gravure, process printing, planographic printing, planography, offset, offset printing, carbon process

History

Etymology

By surface analysis, print + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

65 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: طِبَاعَة (ṭibāʕa) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Armenian: տպագրություն (tpagrutʻyun) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Armenian: տպում (tpum) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Armenian: գրատպություն (gratputʻyun) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Belarusian: друкава́нне (drukavánnje) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Belarusian: друк (druk) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Belarusian: друка́рства (drukárstva) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Bulgarian: печа́тарство (pečátarstvo) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Catalan: impressió — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Catalan: impremta — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Chinese Mandarin: 印刷 (yìnshuā) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Czech: tisk — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Dutch: boekdrukkunst — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Dutch: drukkunst — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Finnish: kirjapainotaito — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • French: imprimerie — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • German: Drucken — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • German: Druck — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Greek: τυπογραφία (typografía) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Gujarati: છાપકામ (chāpkām) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Irish: clódóireacht — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Japanese: 印刷 (insatsu) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Korean: 인쇄 (inswae) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Kyrgyz: мөөр (möör) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Macedonian: печатење (pečatenje) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Malay: pencetakan — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Persian: چاپ (čâp) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Polish: drukarstwo — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Polish: druk — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Portuguese: impressão — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Romanian: tipar — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Romanian: tipografiere — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Romanian: imprimerie — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Russian: печа́тание (pečátanije) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Russian: печа́ть (pečátʹ) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Slovene: tiskanje — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Spanish: impresión — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Swahili: uchapaji — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Ottoman Turkish: باصمه (basma) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Ottoman Turkish: طبع (tabʼ) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Ukrainian: друкува́ння (drukuvánnja) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Ukrainian: друк (druk) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Ukrainian: друка́рство (drukárstvo) — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Vietnamese: in ấn — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Walloon: imprimreye — the process or business of producing printed material — see also typography
  • Malay: cetakan — material that has been printed
  • Romanian: tipăritură — material that has been printed
  • Ottoman Turkish: باصمه (basma) — material that has been printed
  • Ukrainian: друк (druk) — material that has been printed
  • Bulgarian: тираж (tiraž) — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Catalan: tirada — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Danish: oplag — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Dutch: oplage — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Finnish: painos — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • French: tirage — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • German: Auflage — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Italian: tiratura — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Macedonian: тира́ж (tiráž) — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Norwegian: opplag — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Portuguese: tiragem — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Spanish: tirada — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Swedish: upplaga — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Ukrainian: наклад (naklad) — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Ukrainian: тираж (tyraž) — all the copies of a publication that have been printed in one batch
  • Ukrainian: відбиток (vidbytok) — written characters not joined up
Real reading context

printing in complete knowledge articles

Roller printing on textiles Technology & inventions · Advanced · 22 uses ScanIP Technology & inventions · Advanced · 7 uses Mass media Language & communication · Advanced · 6 uses Printer-friendly Technology & inventions · Developing · 5 uses The Register-Guard Science & nature · Advanced · 4 uses Ali-Akbar Sa'idi Sirjani People & society · Advanced · 3 uses Access Media Group Ideas & learning · Advanced · 2 uses Eicon Technology & inventions · Advanced · 2 uses