(used to connect grammatically coordinate words, phrases, or clauses) along or together with; as well as; in addition to; besides; also; moreover.
pens and pencils.
added to; plus.
2 and 2 are 4.
then.
He read for an hour and went to bed.
also, at the same time.
to sleep and dream.
then again; repeatedly.
He coughed and coughed.
(used to imply different qualities in things having the same name).
There are bargains and bargains, so watch out.
(used to introduce a sentence, implying continuation) also; then.
And then it happened.
Informal. to (used between two finite verbs).
Try and do it. Call and see if she's home yet.
(used to introduce a consequence or conditional result).
He felt sick and decided to lie down for a while. Say one more word about it and I'll scream.
but; on the contrary.
He tried to run five miles and couldn't. They said they were about to leave and then stayed for two more hours.
(used to connect alternatives).
He felt that he was being forced to choose between his career and his family.
(used to introduce a comment on the preceding clause).
They don't like each other—and with good reason.
Archaic. if.
and you please.
an added condition, stipulation, detail, or particular.
He accepted the job, no ands or buts about it.
and so forth, and the like; and others; et cetera.
We discussed traveling, sightseeing, and so forth.
and so on, and more things or others of a similar kind; and the like.
It was a summer filled with parties, picnics, and so on.
along with; in addition to
boys and girls
as a consequence
he fell down and cut his knee
afterwards
we pay the man and go through that door
(intensifier)
the sauce is good and thick
plus
two and two equals four
used to join identical words or phrases to give emphasis or indicate repetition or continuity
better and better
we ran and ran
it rained and rained
used to join two identical words or phrases to express a contrast between instances of what is named
there are jobs and jobs
informal used in place of to in infinitives after verbs such as try, go, and come
try and see it my way
Informal spellings: an. an'. 'n. an obsolete word for if
and it please you
Both and and but, and to a lesser extent or and so, are common as transitional words at the beginnings of sentences in all types of speech and writing: General Jackson thought the attack would come after darkness. And he was right. Any objection to this practice probably stems from the overuse of such sentences by inexperienced writers. When one of these words begins a sentence or an independent clause within a sentence, it is not followed by a comma unless the comma is one of a pair setting off a parenthetical element that follows: John is popular, and he seems to be well adjusted. But, appearances to the contrary, he is often depressed. See also and/or, et cetera, try.
The use of and instead of to after try and wait is typical of spoken language, but should be avoided in any writing which is not informal: We must try to prevent (not try and prevent ) this happening
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English and, ond; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German ant, Old Frisian, Gothic and, Icelandic and-; akin to German und, Dutch en, Sanskrit anti
First recorded in 1945–50
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One recent afternoon at Avenal City Hall, Preciado, wearing a Panama hat and still calling himself mayor, said he would gladly step down—if the courts make him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The benchmark was recently 5.6% higher, while SK Hynix and Samsung shares rose 11% and 5.9%, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
“A lot of memes and pictures and what not.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
With the help of City Manager Antony Lopez, he and other city officials set out to launch their own fire department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
The violent conflict in Cuba created substantial economic and political instability, which captured the attention of the American government because Cuba was only ninety miles from the coast of Florida.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
AND mind you, China is not the cheapest place to build any kind of factories nowadays.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 3, 2026
The announcement swiped at Chick-fil-A while championing its own sandwich: “bigger than Chick-fil-A’s AND available on Sundays.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
"But a considerable amount about my tanned appearance. AND how OLD I look."
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2025
Coates took the opportunity to see the world AND the people in it.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2024
The day had started, with a bang AND a whimper.
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
"He's doing something that is the most difficult thing in the game - to score goals -and he's popped up again with what proved to be the winning goal," O'Neill said.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
They filled 2,100 bags of litter - a similar number to previous years -and recorded 638 waste and fly-tipping issues.
From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026
"We combine wearables, EMA -and clinical records to capture a broad range of information about the patients, from physical activities to subjective reports of pain and mental health, and to clinical characteristics," Lu said.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2024
“I look forward to many more years of subversive behavior -pushing boundaries-Standing up to the patriarchy -and Most of all enjoying my life,” she wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2023
He fought for the handhold -and the antler bit just in time.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
