punctuation
the practice or system of using certain conventional marks or characters in writing or printing in order to separate elements and make the meaning clear, as in ending a sentence or separating clauses.
the act of punctuating.
Biology. the sudden or accelerated extinction of some species and emergence of others, occurring only in isolated periods, as set forth in the theory of punctuated equilibrium.
Origin of punctuation
1Other words from punctuation
- punc·tu·a·tion·al, punc·tu·a·tive, adjective
- non·punc·tu·a·tion, noun
- re·punc·tu·a·tion, noun
Words Nearby punctuation
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use punctuation in a sentence
The greyscale layout is extremely slick and gets a nice bit of punctuation from the bright red escape key.
The best keyboards to upgrade your computer setup | Jasmine Harding | October 1, 2021 | Popular-ScienceI picked up on the vibe that JBL wants to say its Bluetooth waterproof speakers are exciting and it aligns with the speaker’s overall bold look, though the punctuation is a little too flashy for my taste.
JBL Charge 5 review: A rugged, portable Bluetooth speaker with battery to spare | Billy Cadden | June 15, 2021 | Popular-ScienceJohn Mueller said no, we don’t give any special consideration to punctuation after a link.
May 22 Google update was big, despite Google’s being mum about it; Wednesday’s daily brief | Barry Schwartz | May 26, 2021 | Search Engine LandThe zesty curry sauce is my punctuation of choice for the fried fare, the restaurant’s top-selling dish.
Mattie & Eddie’s channels the Irish spirit of a veteran chef’s grandparents | Tom Sietsema | May 21, 2021 | Washington PostWhen there is automatic captioning on the video, the punctuation can be erratic, the words can be transcribed incorrectly and the caption is not always attributed to the speaker.
Four reasons you’re tired of Zoom calls — and what to do about it | Paulina Firozi, Allyson Chiu | March 3, 2021 | Washington Post
Completed in 1953 and composed with standard line breaks and punctuation, the book was completely ignored upon submission.
“And to see great fashion,” he added half-heartedly, in monotone and with no punctuation.
You might say that this is part of my side of the story… Please excuse my handwriting, punctuation, and spelling.
It was more like punctuation, a real life comma that emphasizes the constant pressures of our daily schedule.
The rise to infamy of the “SarcMark”® is unparalleled in the history of punctuation.
Inconsistencies in the author's spelling, punctuation, and use of hyphens have been retained as in the original book.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxSpacing after punctuation standardized, inconsistent hyphenation and archaic spelling retained.
The want of a mark of punctuation, or the incorrect placing of it, will make the most woful confusion.
The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness | Florence HartleyAfter this it becomes exceedingly common, and is even employed as a mark of punctuation between the words.
The Catacombs of Rome | William Henry WithrowTranscriber's note: Minor spelling and punctuation inconsistencies, mainly quotes that had not been closed, have been harmonized.
On Patrol | John Graham Bower
British Dictionary definitions for punctuation
/ (ˌpʌŋktjʊˈeɪʃən) /
the use of symbols not belonging to the alphabet of a writing system to indicate aspects of the intonation and meaning not otherwise conveyed in the written language
the symbols used for this purpose
the act or an instance of punctuating
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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