What does "paragraph" mean?
A passage in text that starts on a new line, the first line sometimes being indented, and usually marks a change of topic.
Paragraph
/ˈpæɹəɡɹɑːf/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A passage in text that starts on a new line, the first line sometimes being indented, and usually marks a change of topic.
- Grammar: paragraph is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: adjectival phrase, amendment, apercu, article.
- Useful contrasts: german linie, one line, bulleted item.
- Usage evidence: The paragraph emphasises the message.
How to use "paragraph"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "paragraph" 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 "paragraph" 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 "paragraph" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "paragraph" 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 "paragraph" 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 "adjectival phrase" 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 "paragraph", 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 A passage in text that starts on a new line, the first line sometimes being indented, and usually marks a change of topic.
"opening paragraph"
- 2 one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line wordnet
- 3 A mark or note set in the margin to call attention to something in the text, such as a change of subject.
- 4 A brief article, notice, or announcement, as in a newspaper.
"Much of its earliest foreign news came direct from the minister, and not seldom in his own hand. Louis XIII. took a keen, perhaps a somewhat childish, interest in the progress of the infant Gazette, and was a frequent contributor, now and then taking his little paragraphs to the printing office himself, and seeing them put into type."
- 5 An offset of 16 bytes in Intel memory architectures.
Verb
- 1 To sort text into paragraphs. transitive
- 2 write paragraphs; work as a paragrapher wordnet
- 3 To publish a brief article, notice, or announcement, as in a newspaper. transitive
- 4 write about in a paragraph wordnet
- 5 divide into paragraphs, as of text wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The paragraph emphasises the message."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "paragraph"?
Common synonyms include: adjectival phrase, amendment, apercu, article, back matter, block.
How do you use "paragraph" in a sentence?
The paragraph emphasises the message.
How do you pronounce "paragraph"?
Pronounced /ˈpæɹəɡɹɑːf/.
Etymology
From Middle English paragraf, from Middle French paragraphe from Latin paragraphus (“sign for start of a new section of discourse”), from Ancient Greek παράγραφος (parágraphos), from παρά (pará, “beside”) and γράφω (gráphō, “I write”). Doublet of paragraphos.