lowercase

1 of 3

adjective

low·​er·​case ˌlō-ər-ˈkās How to pronounce lowercase (audio)
of a letter
: having as its typical form a f g or b n i rather than A F G or B N I
lowercase noun

lowercase

2 of 3

verb

lowercased; lowercasing

transitive verb

: to print or set in lowercase letters

lower case

3 of 3

noun

: a type case containing lowercase letters and usually figures, punctuation marks, spaces, and quads (see quad entry 2) compare upper case

Examples of lowercase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Note that while titles such as duke are similarly lowercase when used on their own, we uppercase phrases such as the Duke of Wellington when duke is part of a phrase with a location. WSJ, 16 Sep. 2022 Little ones will get a kick out of this bug-themed scavenger hunt —and learn to tell the difference between their upper and lowercase letters in the process. Marisa Iallonardo, Good Housekeeping, 28 Dec. 2022
Verb
The project’s title is lowercased intentionally to address the hierarchies that capitalization can reinforce in our culture. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023 Kindergartners sit cross-legged at the front of the classroom as Hess shows slides of letters in upper and lowercase next to accompanying images. oregonlive, 25 Dec. 2022 See all Example Sentences for lowercase 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lowercase.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from the compositor's practice of keeping such types in the lower of a pair of type cases

First Known Use

Adjective

1683, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1895, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1683, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lowercase was in 1683

Dictionary Entries Near lowercase

Cite this Entry

“Lowercase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lowercase. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.

Kids Definition

lowercase

adjective
low·​er·​case
ˌlō(-ə)r-ˈkās
: being a letter having as its typical form a, b, c rather than A, B, C
lowercase noun

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