肉筆|にくひつnikuhitsu[0]heiban (flat)

1. no-adjectiveone's own handwriting; autograph
   これは良りょうの肉筆にくひつの手紙てがみだ。↗

   This is a letter of Ryo's in his own handwriting.
2. no-adjectiveas written with a brush

• Synonym自筆じひつWrittenWritten/formal prose: something written by the person themself, as in 「自筆の遺言」; 「肉筆」 stresses being handwritten rather than printed.
• Synonym直筆じきひつNeutralNeutral: something written by the person themself, as in 「直筆サイン」 or 「直筆の手紙」; stresses it comes from the person, while 「肉筆」 stresses not being printed.
• Synonym手書きてがきNeutralNeutral: the everyday word for writing or drawing by hand; 「肉筆」 is mostly said of calligraphy and painting works.
• Related手書きてがきNeutralNeutral: the everyday word for writing or drawing by hand; 「肉筆」 is mostly said of calligraphy and painting works.
• Related筆跡ひっせきNeutralNeutral: a person's handwriting and its characteristic features, as in 「筆跡鑑定」; it points to the style of the strokes, while 「肉筆」 is the act of writing by hand.
• Related手書しゅしょNeutralAlso written 「手書」; the same word as the entry above, meaning handwriting that is not printed; 「肉筆」 is mostly said of calligraphy and painting works.
• Related手跡しゅせきWrittenWritten/formal prose, and rare: a person's handwriting or a calligraphy work; it points to how the writing looks, while 「肉筆」 stresses it is done by hand.
• Related墨跡ぼくせきWrittenWritten/formal prose: a genuine ink-brush work, especially the calligraphy of a Zen monk; 「肉筆」 is not limited to works in ink.
• Antonym印刷いんさつNeutralNeutral: printing, which can mass-produce copies — the opposite of the hand-done writing of 「肉筆」.
• Antonym活字かつじNeutralNeutral: movable type or printed text, the opposite of 「肉筆」, as in 「活字離れ」.

For everyday handwriting use 「手書き」. For something written by the person themself use 「直筆」 or 「自筆」, as in 「直筆サイン」. In the arts, a hand-done, non-printed calligraphy or painting is 「肉筆」, as in 「肉筆浮世絵」. For printing use 「印刷」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 人ひとの手てによって直接ちょくせつ書かくこと。また、そのような書画しょが。