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Glite Dictionary
🔤 A letter variant ✍️ A false signature
allograph

allograph

9.9
A signature made by one person for someone else
  • noun
  • /ˈæl.əˌɡrɑf/
  • Specialized
: firma en nombre de otro
  • The expert determined the document was signed with an allograph rather than the original signature.

Examples

  • A forgery can sometimes be detected if an allograph is inconsistent with a person's usual handwriting.

  • The contract was signed with an allograph by her assistant.

  • His lawyer argued the contract was invalid because the signature was actually an allograph.

  • Many documents require an allograph when the signer is unavailable.

  • The expert determined the document was signed with an allograph rather than the original signature.

  • His lawyer argued the contract was invalid because the signature was actually an allograph.

  • Many documents require an allograph when the signer is unavailable.

Surface Forms

allograph singular
allographs plural

Morphology

allograph = graph (semi-transparent) = allo + graph

The word is transparently formed from 'allo-' ('other') and 'graph' ('written form'), though the specific legal meaning is specialized.

Etymology

Allograph also has a meaning for signatures and comes from the same parts allo- meaning 'other' and -graph meaning 'writing'. So an allograph can be an 'other writing' of a name, a signature written by one person for another, which is why it can show a fake signature or make a document not valid.