What does "comma" mean?
The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.
Comma
/ˈkɒmə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.
- Grammar: comma is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ampersand, angle brackets, apostrophe, boundary.
- Useful contrasts: ampersand, colons, dash.
- Usage evidence: In another paragraph, he put in a comma.
How to use "comma"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "comma" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "comma" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "comma" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "comma" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "comma" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ampersand" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "comma", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The punctuation mark ⟨,⟩ used to indicate a set of parts of a sentence or between elements of a list.
"No points were used by the ancient printers, excepting the colon and the period; but, after some time, a short oblique stroke, called a virgil, was introduced, which answered to the modern comma. In the fifteenth century this punctuation was improved by the famous Aldus Manutius with the typographical art in general; when he gave a better shape to the comma, added the semicolon, and assigned to the former points more proper places."
- 2 anglewing butterfly with a comma-shaped mark on the underside of each hind wing wordnet
- 3 A similar-looking subscript diacritical mark. Romanian
- 4 a punctuation mark (‘,’) used to indicate the separation of elements within the grammatical structure of a sentence wordnet
- 5 Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Polygonia, having a comma-shaped white mark on the underwings, especially Polygonia c-album and Polygonia c-aureum of North Africa, Europe, and Asia.
"Commas (Polygonia comma) and Question Marks (Polygonia interrogationis) occur from the Gulf Coast to Canada and west to the Rockies. [...] Question Marks and Commas are handsome butterflies with burnt orange and black markings. [...] On the underside of each hind wing of the Comma is a small, distinctive silver hook that resembles a comma."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A difference in the calculation of nearly identical intervals by different ways.
- 7 A delimiting marker between items in a genetic sequence.
- 8 In Ancient Greek rhetoric, a short clause, something less than a colon, originally denoted by comma marks. In antiquity it was defined as a combination of words having no more than eight syllables in all. It was later applied to longer phrases, e.g. the Johannine comma. rhetoric
- 9 A brief interval. figuratively
Verb
- 1 To place a comma or commas within text; to follow, precede, or surround a portion of text with commas. rare, transitive
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"In another paragraph, he put in a comma."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "comma"?
Common synonyms include: ampersand, angle brackets, apostrophe, boundary, braces, breath pause.
How do you use "comma" in a sentence?
In another paragraph, he put in a comma.
How do you pronounce "comma"?
Pronounced /ˈkɒmə/.
Etymology
From Latin comma, from Ancient Greek κόμμα (kómma), from κόπτω (kóptō, “I cut”).