punctuation

[ puhngk-choo-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the practice or system of using certain conventional marks or characters in writing or printing in order to separate elements and make the meaning clear, as in ending a sentence or separating clauses.
2. the act of punctuating.
3. punctuation marks.
4. Biology. the sudden or accelerated extinction of some species and emergence of others, occurring only in isolated periods, as set forth in the theory of punctuated equilibrium.

punctuation

/ ˌpʌŋktjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the use of symbols not belonging to the alphabet of a writing system to indicate aspects of the intonation and meaning not otherwise conveyed in the written language
2. the symbols used for this purpose
3. the act or an instance of punctuating

Other Words From

• punctu·ation·al punctu·ative adjective
• nonpunc·tu·ation noun
• repunc·tu·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of punctuation¹

First recorded in 1530–40; from Medieval Latin pūnctuātiōn- (stem of pūnctuātiō ) “a marking, pointing”; punctuate, -ion