In typography, characters (or typefaces) without serifs—which are lines crossing the free end of the stroke. "Sans serif" itself means "without serif." In the United States, the term gothic was sometimes used—albeit incorrectly—as a synonym for sans serif. (Sans serif type is also referred to as grotesk.) Serif type is easier to read in text; sans serif is generally more easily perceived in headlines.
Most sans serifs have a "neutral" or "cold" feeling; some sans serifs, however, have touches of serifs in some of their letters—such as a, g, t—to give them more character. The more popular sans serifs today have a calligraphic feel to them. (See also Serif.)