Cacographical

/kækəɡˈræfɪkəl/ adjective

Definition

Of or pertaining to poor handwriting or bad writing; relating to illegible or careless written expression.

Etymology

Extended form of cacographic with the suffix -al, adding a second layer of adjectival formation. Both forms mean essentially the same thing but with slightly different emphasis.

Kelly Says

Adding '-al' to '-ic' seems redundant to modern ears, but 18th-century writers loved stacking suffixes to sound more scholarly and formal.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.