pen·cil
ˈpen(t)-səl 
1
: an artist's brush
2
: an artist's individual skill or style
3
a
: an implement for writing, drawing, or marking consisting of or containing a slender cylinder or strip of a solid marking substance
b
: a small medicated or cosmetic roll or stick for local applications
4
: a set of geometric objects each pair of which has a common property
the lines in a plane through a point comprise a pencil of lines
5
: something (such as a beam of radiation) long and thin like a pencil
penciled or pencilled; penciling or pencilling
ˈpen(t)-s(ə-)liŋ
1
: to paint, draw, write, or mark with a pencil
2
: to plan or designate tentatively
—used with in
penciled him in as the nominee
Examples of pencil in a Sentence
Noun
Use a pencil instead of a pen so you can erase your mistakes.
Verb
He penciled some notes on a piece of paper.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sarah Han, Allure, 15 Mar. 2026
Vautin has created a true stationery smorgasbord, stuffed with creamy notebooks, wax seals, fountain pens and inks, wee porcelain bowls, mini-colored-pencil sets, gift wrap, highlighter pens, Hobonichi planners, a bounty of illustrated stickers, and washi-tape rolls by the dozen.
—Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Adam Ismail, The Drive, 12 Mar. 2026
The Giants have a glaring hole at the outside corner spot opposite Paulson Adebo, so Newsome is penciled into that spot.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pencil
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
According to Spickard, the top slots are useful for stashing brushes and pencils.
—Sarah Han, Allure, 15 Mar. 2026
Vautin has created a true stationery smorgasbord, stuffed with creamy notebooks, wax seals, fountain pens and inks, wee porcelain bowls, mini-colored-pencil sets, gift wrap, highlighter pens, Hobonichi planners, a bounty of illustrated stickers, and washi-tape rolls by the dozen.
—Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
Had it been penciled to start production alongside the 0 Series SUV and RSX later this year, it might’ve been swept up in today’s decision.
—Adam Ismail, The Drive, 12 Mar. 2026
The Giants have a glaring hole at the outside corner spot opposite Paulson Adebo, so Newsome is penciled into that spot.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pencil
Cite this Entry
“Pencil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pencil. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pencil
1 of 2 noun
pen·cil
ˈpen(t)-səl
1
: an instrument for writing, drawing, or marking consisting of or containing a slender cylinder or strip of a solid marking substance
2
: something like a pencil in form or use
an eyebrow pencil
pencil
2 of 2 verb
penciled or pencilled; penciling or pencilling
ˈpen(t)-s(ə-)liŋ
: to mark, draw, or write with or as if with a pencil
Etymology
Noun
Middle English pensel "an artist's brush, pencil," from early French pincel (same meaning), derived from Latin penicillus, literally, "little tail" — related to penicillin see Word History at 3pen
Medical Definition
pencil
noun
pen·cil
ˈpen(t)-səl
1
: a small medicated or cosmetic roll or stick for local applications
a menthol pencil
2
: an aggregate of rays of radiation (as light) especially when diverging from or converging to a point
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
