Majuscule
Noun
- Large lettering, either capital or uncial, in which all the letters are the same height.
- A large letter.
Example Sentences
“The cafe’s outside sign used majuscule to advertise the daily specials.”
“It was difficult to read her handwriting, because she avoided all use of majuscule.”
“Each chapter began with a red letter in majuscule.”
Word Origin
French, early 18th century
Why this word?
When print shops used individual metal type to produce newspapers, pamphlets, and books, the different sizes and styles of letters were kept in separate cases. Smaller letters, known as “minuscule,” were kept in a case on a lower shelf for easy access, which created the term “lowercase letters.” The larger letters, or majuscule, were kept on the upper shelf.