Dictionary.com
definitions

semicolon

[ sem-i-koh-luh n ]
/ ˈsɛm ɪˌkoʊ lən /
|

noun

the punctuation mark (;) used to indicate a major division in a sentence where a more distinct separation is felt between clauses or items on a list than is indicated by a comma, as between the two clauses of a compound sentence.

RELATED CONTENT

What Are The 6 Major Punctuation Marks?You’ve definitely seen them around, but do you know how they’re supposed to be used? The major punctuation marks are the period, comma, exclamation point, question mark, semicolon, and colon. These marks organize sentences and give them structure. The Period A period (.) ends a sentence. It comes immediately after the last letter of a sentence, and there only needs to be one space between …
READ MORE
How Do You Use A Semicolon?It’s one of the hottest things grammar nerds argue about: Just when are you supposed to use semicolons? Semicolons can join two or more independent sentences or divide items that are separated by commas in a list. A semicolon indicates a slight break in the flow of thought. Joining Independent Sentences A semicolon links two or more independent clauses that are closely related. An independent …
READ MORE

Nearby words

  1. semicircular,
  2. semicircular canal,
  3. semicircular duct,
  4. semicivilized,
  5. semiclassical,
  6. semicoma,
  7. semiconducting,
  8. semiconductor,
  9. semiconductor diode,
  10. semiconductor laser

Origin of semicolon

First recorded in 1635–45; semi- + colon1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for semicolon

British Dictionary definitions for semicolon

semicolon

/ (ˌsɛmɪˈkəʊlən) /

noun

the punctuation mark (;) used to indicate a pause intermediate in value or length between that of a comma and that of a full stop
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for semicolon

semicolon

n.

punctuation-mark, 1640s, a hybrid coined from Latin-derived semi- + Greek-based colon (n.1). The mark itself was in Greek the point of interrogation.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Culture definitions for semicolon

semicolon

A punctuation mark (;) used to join two independent clauses in a sentence. The semicolon shows that the ideas in the two clauses are related: “Jack really didn't mind being left without a car; he had the house to himself.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.