kerning

noun

kern·​ing ˈkər-niŋ How to pronounce kerning (audio)
plural kernings
1
typography : the act or result of kerning characters
Good kerning can enhance a font's appearance.
2
typography : the distance between a kerned pair of adjacent characters in a line of composed text
increased the kerning between the f and the period
a kerning of +100
Adobe typefaces tend to have between 500 and 1000 kerning pairs. The … font that you downloaded for free from the Web may not have any.Nigel French
broadly : letterspacing, tracking

Word History

Etymology

from gerund of kern entry 3

First Known Use

1980, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kerning was in 1980

Dictionary Entries Near kerning

Cite this Entry

“Kerning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kerning. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!