paragraph

[par-uh-graf, -grahf]

noun

1. a distinct portion of written or printed matter dealing with a particular idea, usually beginning with an indentation on a new line.

2. a paragraph mark.

3. a note, item, or brief article, as in a newspaper.

verb (used with object)

1. to divide into paragraphs.

2. to write or publish paragraphs about, as in a newspaper.

3. to express in a paragraph.

paragraph

/ ˈpærəˌɡrɑːf, -ˌɡræf, ˌpærəˈɡræfɪk /

noun

1. (in a piece of writing) one of a series of subsections each usually devoted to one idea and each usually marked by the beginning of a new line, indentation, increased interlinear space, etc

2. printing the character ¶, used as a reference mark or to indicate the beginning of a new paragraph

3. a short article in a newspaper

verb

1. to form into paragraphs

2. to express or report in a paragraph

paragraph

1. A basic unit of prose. It is usually composed of several sentences that together develop one central idea. The main sentence in a paragraph is called the topic sentence.

Other Word Forms

• paragraphism noun
• paragraphistical adjective
• subparagraph noun
• unparagraphed adjective
• well-paragraphed adjective
• paragraphic adjective
• paragraphically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of paragraph¹

1515–25; earlier paragraphe < Greek paragraphḗ marked passage; para- ¹, graph

Word History and Origins

Origin of paragraph¹

C16: from Medieval Latin paragraphus, from Greek paragraphos line drawing attention to part of a text, from paragraphein to write beside, from _para- ¹ + graphein to write

Example Sentences

They are the queen and king of carefully calibrated consistency, and one wishes that from time to time Mr. Serrano would follow their lead and lose some of the repetition and one-word paragraphs.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Within a single paragraph, we are told that time “was flying by,” that someone “stopped in his tracks” while others “hurried breathlessly.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Penelope raced through the next few paragraphs, and then turned to the next page, and the one after that, but it was simply more of the same.

Read more on Literature

Even so, she promised herself that she would not read so much as a paragraph within an hour of her bedtime, for it seemed the kind of tale that was likely to cause bad dreams.

Read more on Literature

And the first paragraph: Terrified earthquake survivors sought the safety of open ground Tuesday as the enormity of Turkey’s tragedy became clear: more than 2,000 people killed, 10,000 injured, and thousands more missing.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• clause 
• portion 
• quotation 
• reading 
• section 
• sentence 
• text 
• transition 
• verse