Paraph
Noun
- A flourish after a signature, originally as a precaution against forgery.
Example Sentences
“After signing the contract, John added his distinctive paraph — a little squiggle that looked like a smiley face.”
“My grandma always ends her letters with a fancy paraph.”
“The bank teller told me that adding a paraph to my signature can help prevent forgery.”
Word Origin
Latin, late 14th century
Why this word?
When penmanship was more of an art, people often added fancy swirls and curlicues to their signatures. Look at the impressive “John Hancock” on the Declaration of Independence as an example. This flourish, or paraph — borrowed from the French “paraph,” meaning “paragraph,” but based on the Latin “paraphus,” meaning “short horizontal stroke” — was an early antiforgery measure. The more ornate one’s paraph, the harder the full signature would be to copy. In modern usage, when a notary signs a document of obligation, such as a mortgage, the notary’s signature is called a paraph. In this context, the paraph is not just a decorative signature because it certifies the document as legitimate.