ellipsis

American  

[ih-lip-sis] / ɪˈlɪp sɪs /

noun

plural

ellipses

1. Grammar.

   1. the omission from a sentence or other construction of one or more words that would complete or clarify the construction, as the omission of who are, while I am, or while we are from I like to interview people sitting down.

   2. the omission of one or more items from a construction in order to avoid repeating the identical or equivalent items that are in a preceding or following construction, as the omission of been to Paris from the second clause of I've been to Paris, but they haven't.

2. Printing. a mark or marks as ——, …, or * * *, to indicate an omission or suppression of letters or words.

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ellipsis British  

/ ɪˈlɪpsɪs /

noun

1. Also called: eclipsis.  omission of parts of a word or sentence

2. printing a sequence of three dots (…) indicating an omission in text

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ellipsis Cultural  

1. A punctuation mark (…) used most often within quotations to indicate that something has been left out. For example, if we leave out parts of the above definition, it can read: “A punctuation mark (…) used most often … to indicate….”

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Etymology

Origin of ellipsis

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin ellīpsis, from Greek élleipsis “omission,” from el- (variant of en- en- ² ) + leip-, stem of leípein “to leave” + -sis -sis

Explanation

An ellipsis is punctuation that is used to show where words have been left out. The ellipsis is usually formed by three periods (four if the ellipsis comes at the end of a sentence). The plural of ellipsis is…ellipses. See what we did there? In addition to indicating that words are missing, an ellipsis can say, “wait for it.” There’s a pause. The word ellipsis comes to English via a Greek word, elleipein, meaning to fall short or leave out. If you can’t remember the word ellipsis, you can always say “dot dot dot.”

Example Sentences

Though the title jams everybody together in one breathless, unpunctuated rush, this is very much a movie about distance within families; an ellipsis between each word might have been apt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

He inserted this ellipsis, so the sentence meant the literal opposite of what it had actually said.

From Salon • May 16, 2025

Akil laughs when I bring it up: “At any age, that ellipsis will kick your butt.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025

I wrote, as an accompanying caption, “The Star Wars/Le Creuset pots imply the existence of a Type of Guy I find genuinely unimaginable...” — just like that, ellipsis and all.

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2023

Olly: does the ellipsis mean we're having an awkward silence or that you're thinking?

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon