comma

[kom-uh]

noun

1. the sign (,), a mark of punctuation used for indicating a division in a sentence, as in setting off a word, phrase, or clause, especially when such a division is accompanied by a slight pause or is to be noted in order to give order to the sequential elements of the sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list, to mark off thousands in numerals, to separate types or levels of information in bibliographic and other data, and, in many European countries, as a decimal point.

2. Classical Prosody.

   1. a fragment or smaller section of a colon.

   2. the part of dactylic hexameter beginning or ending with the caesura.

   3. the caesura itself.

3. Music.,  the minute, virtually unheard difference in pitch between two enharmonic tones, as G♯ and A♭.

4. any of several nymphalid butterflies, including the North American Polygonia comma, having a comma-shaped silver mark on the underside of each hindwing.

comma

/ ˈkɒmə /

noun

1. the punctuation mark(,) indicating a slight pause in the spoken sentence and used where there is a listing of items or to separate a nonrestrictive clause or phrase from a main clause

2. music a minute interval

3. short for comma butterfly

comma

1. A punctuation mark (,) used to indicate pauses and to separate elements within a sentence. “The forest abounds with oak, elm, and beech trees”; “The bassoon player was born in Roanoke, Virginia, on December 29, 1957.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of comma¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Late Latin: “mark of punctuation,” Latin: “division of a phrase,” from Greek kómma “piece cut off” (referring to the phrase so marked), equivalent to kop- (base of kóptein “to cut, gnaw, strike”) + -ma, noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of comma¹

C16: from Latin, from Greek komma clause, from koptein to cut

Example Sentences

How barmy is it to fly thousands of people half-way around the world to sit in giant air-conditioned tents to argue about commas, and interpretations of convoluted words?

Read more on BBC

It’s less jarring than parentheses but a bigger interruption than commas.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Alongside one picture of Lord Mandelson with two women, whose faces are obscured, he writes about meeting Epstein's interesting – in inverted commas – friends.

Read more on BBC

That title seems to have lost a comma since Cannes, but who cares?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.

Read more on Salon

When To Use

What is a comma?

The comma (,) is a punctuation mark that indicates a pause in a sentence, sets off words, phrases, or clauses, separates items in a list, and performs many other functions.The comma is one of the most versatile and commonly misused punctuation marks in English. It serves many different functions in English, such as:

• Indicating a pause in speech: I was walking down the street and, um, I was hit with a pie by a clown. 



• Separating items in a list: I put my shirts, pants, and socks into my suitcase.



• Separating adjectives: LaShona has a big, hairy dog. 



• In numbers larger than 999: I bought a computer for $1,300.



• In dates and addresses: I visited Des Moines, Iowa, on October 17, 2005.

There are many more jobs commas do. For more detailed information on how to properly use commas, read our thorough guide on them.