Eg.

¹

abbreviation for

1. Egypt.
2. Egyptian.

e.g.

²

[ ee-jee ]

abbreviation for

1. for example; for the sake of example; such as:

   Let’s look at some important dates in American history—e.g., July 4, 1776.

   I collect the works of many poets (e.g., Dickinson, Frost, Angelou).

e.g.

¹

abbreviation for

1. exempli gratia

eg

²

the internet domain name for

1. Egypt

Eg.

³

abbreviation for

1. Egypt(ian)
2. Egyptology

e.g.

1. An abbreviation meaning “for example.” It is short for the Latin exempli gratia , “for the sake of example.” A list of examples may be preceded by e.g. : “She loved exotic fruit, e.g., mangoes, passion fruit, and papayas.” ( Compare i.e. )

Confusables Note

Latin as a school subject was once as common as chalk, from middle schools to universities. That may no longer be the case, but as speakers, writers, and readers, we still use and encounter plenty of Latin words and phrases. Sometimes these words and phrases are most familiar as abbreviations—the prime example being etc., which we use every day as a substitute for “and so forth” or “and so on.” Even though etc. is pronounced as if it were spelled out in full ( et cetera ), not everyone realizes that et cetera is in fact the two-word Latin phrase they’re using and that it literally does mean “and the rest.” While etc. may win the prize for frequency of use, there are two other Latin abbreviations that also are very familiar: e.g. and i.e. Unlike etc., neither e.g. nor i.e. is pronounced as if it were spelled out, but rather just by the initials (the same way you would pronounce a.m. / p.m. or FBI ). As useful abbreviations go, e.g. and i.e. are a great pair, but the main reason they’re even thought of as a pair is that they are sometimes confused, which is understandable given the absence of Latin in a typical modern education. So let’s have a quick Latin lesson and learn the simple facts about these two abbreviations. E.g., used as a substitute for the words “for example” or “such as,” is short for the Latin exemplī grātiā, which literally means “for the sake of example.” I.e., used as a substitute for the words “that is,” “that is to say,” or “in other words,” is short for the Latin id est, which literally means “that is.” Now that we’ve got the meanings down, let’s look at some actual usage. e.g. = “for example” • If you’re worried about a house full of dog hair, remember there are many nonshedding breeds—e.g., silky terriers, Basenjis, and Lhasa apsos. • I’ve got no food restrictions, but some things I’d sooner not eat, e.g., oysters. • The most applauded moments were her soliloquies—e.g., at the end of Scene 1. i.e. = “that is (to say)” or “in other words” • Our son’s adorable pound puppy is my favorite breed —i.e., a mutt! • There’s only one way I don’t like my potatoes prepared, i.e., boiled. • The critics called the performance “scintillating” and “dazzling”—i.e., they loved it. Hopefully, the preceding sentences have shown how useful (and very different in meaning) these abbreviations are, but that won’t help someone who wants to use one and can’t at the moment remember which one means what. If all else fails, think of e.g. as the beginning of egsample (not a real word, but one that sounds like example ). That technique may not make you a Latin scholar, but it might help put you on the right track to the right usage!

Word History and Origins

Origin of Eg.¹

From Latin exemplī grātiā

Word History and Origins

Origin of Eg.¹

Latin: for example

Example Sentences

Under the idea, professors would be paid bonuses for excellence, “e.g., $1 million for a Nobel Prize,” Mr. Sass’s presentation said.

From New York Times

This gleaning process can imbue certain events or people, e.g., the rise of Adolf Hitler, with a sense of historical inevitability.

From Salon

The direction of the arrows indicates how the fields are charged under the interactions, e.g., what electric charge the particles carry.

From Science Daily

Akin to our own body, hydrogels mostly contain water and are everywhere around us, e.g., food jelly and shaving gel.

From Science Daily

The first experiment involved the participants remembering words in order -- words that were similar, either phonetically or in spelling, e.g. "bought," "caught," "taut" and "wart."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• as
• for example
• for instance
• such as
• thus