Standard Lemma guide

stenography

noun · 3 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.

  • UK: /stɪˈnɒɡɹəfi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /stəˈnɑɡɹəfi/
  • US: /stɛˈnɑɡɹəfi/
  • rhymes with -ɒɡɹəfi

1

noun

Meaning 1

The practice of transcribing speech (primarily for later dictation or testimony), usually using shorthand

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the act or art of writing in shorthand

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • stenography is no longer a marketable skill

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: handwriting

3

noun

Meaning 3

a method of writing rapidly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shorthand, tachygraphy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: handwriting, hand, script

History

Etymology

From steno- (“narrow”) + -graphy.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: սղագրություն (sġagrutʻyun) — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Bulgarian: стеногра́фия (stenográfija) — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Catalan: taquigrafia — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Catalan: estenografia — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Chinese Mandarin: 速記 /速记 (sùjì) — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Esperanto: stenografio — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Finnish: pikakirjoitus — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Finnish: stenografia — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • French: sténographie — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Friulian: stenografie — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Georgian: სტენოგრაფია (sṭenograpia) — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • German: Stenographie — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • German: Kurzschrift — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Greek: στενογραφία (stenografía) — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Hungarian: gyorsírás — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Irish: luathscríbhneoireacht — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Italian: stenografia — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Polish: stenografia — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Portuguese: taquigrafia — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Portuguese: estenografia — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Romanian: stenografie — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Russian: стеногра́фия (stenográfija) — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Serbo-Croatian: бр̏зопӣс — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Serbo-Croatian: bȑzopīs — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Spanish: taquigrafía — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand
  • Spanish: estenografía — the practice of transcribing speech, usually using shorthand