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

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

This ellipsis is a casual piece of grammar.

From Washington Post • Oct. 1, 2022

Tracing toward it from the north was a long ellipsis of puffy white dots: the smoky breath of a train.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs