semicolon

American  

[sem-i-koh-luhn] / ˈsɛm ɪˌkoʊ lən /

noun

semicolons plural

1. the punctuation mark (;) used to indicate a major division in a sentence where a more distinct separation is felt between clauses or items on a list than is indicated by a comma, as between the two clauses of a compound sentence.

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semicolon British  

/ ˌsɛmɪˈkəʊlən /

noun

1. the punctuation mark ( ; ) used to indicate a pause intermediate in value or length between that of a comma and that of a full stop

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semicolon Cultural  

1. A punctuation mark (;) used to join two independent clauses in a sentence. The semicolon shows that the ideas in the two clauses are related: “Jack really didn't mind being left without a car; he had the house to himself.”

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• semicolons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of semicolon

First recorded in 1635–45; semi- + colon ¹

Compare meaning

How does semicolon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• em dash vs. semicolon
• hyphen vs. semicolon

Explanation

A semicolon is a punctuation mark that shows you there's a pause in a sentence; semicolons separate two complete clauses. Unlike a comma, which also indicates a pause in a sentence, a semicolon is used between related independent clauses. This means wherever there's a semicolon, it can be replaced with a period; however, this results in more abrupt, shorter sentences. You can also usually replace a semicolon with a comma followed by a conjunction like and, for, or but. The first printed semicolon appeared in 1494.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

semicolon semicolons

At the Constitutional Convention, he explained, one of the Framers tried to put a semicolon into the spending clause.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

And on her middle finger, she wears a tattoo of a semicolon.

From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2025

"Someone wise once said that the correct punctuation for a scientific advance is not an exclamation mark, but a semicolon," said Meyer.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2023

The shift from semicolon to parentheses has provoked public dissatisfaction.

From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2022

If a comma is a yield sign and a period is a stop sign, the semicolon is a flashing red—one of those lights you drive through after a brief pause.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Imagine a voice-dictation AI that knows when to automatically insert semicolons; be still my writerly heart.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026

Unlike periods and commas, em dashes aren’t integral to sentence structure; they’re a considered choice that can, but by no means have to, take the place of commas, parentheses and semicolons.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2025

Throughout, Murray employs linguistic choices to distinguish the perspectives, most notably in Imelda’s section, where Murray eschews punctuation: no periods, no commas, no dashes, no semicolons — only the occasional question mark.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2023

In my review of the film, I wrote: “Civil wars over semicolons and heated debate over the word ‘looms’ would not, on the face of it, seem like the stuff of a gripping big-screen movie.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 30, 2023

Cruelty to punctuation is quite unlegislated: you can get away with pulling the legs off semicolons; shrivelling question marks on the garden path under a powerful magnifying glass; you name it.

From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author