plural styli
ˈstī(-ə)-ˌlī 
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: such as
a
: an instrument used by the ancients in writing on clay or waxed tablets
b
: a hard-pointed pen-shaped instrument for marking on stencils used in a reproducing machine
c(1)
(2)
: a cutting tool used to produce an original record groove during disc recording
d
: a pen-shaped pointing device used for entering data (such as positional information from a graphics tablet) into a computer
Examples of stylus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Akkadian was written in cuneiform, a system invented by the Sumerians that involves engraving pictograms and symbols into clay with a reed stylus.
—
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
The nibs on the stylus have a rougher texture, which gives the Scribe a more pleasant feeling when writing that the hard glass of the iPad will never have.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 31 July 2024
OnePlus also sells an optional stylus, the Stylo 2.
—PCMAG, 30 July 2024
If a stylus isn't your style, check out the Alienware m16 R2, an excellent gaming laptop featuring an RTX 4070 GPU and Core Ultra 7 processor for top-notch performance, now 30% off.
—Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for stylus 
Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
The nibs on the stylus have a rougher texture, which gives the Scribe a more pleasant feeling when writing that the hard glass of the iPad will never have.
—Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 31 July 2024
OnePlus also sells an optional stylus, the Stylo 2.
—PCMAG, 30 July 2024
If a stylus isn't your style, check out the Alienware m16 R2, an excellent gaming laptop featuring an RTX 4070 GPU and Core Ultra 7 processor for top-notch performance, now 30% off.
—Shubham Yewale, PCMAG, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for stylus
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stylus.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stylus
Cite this Entry
“Stylus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stylus. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stylus
noun
sty·lus
ˈstī-ləs
plural styli
ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
1
: an instrument used by the ancients for writing on wax tablets
Medical Definition
stylus
noun
sty·lus
variants
also stilus
plural styli
ˈstī(ə)l-ˌī
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
or stili or stiluses
also styluses
ˈstī-lə-səz
or stili or stiluses
: an instrument for writing, marking, or incising: as
a
: a hard-pointed instrument for punching the dots in writing braille with a braille slate
b
: a device that traces a recording (as of an electrocardiograph) on paper
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share