comma

[ kom-uh ]

noun

1. the sign (,), a mark of punctuation used for indicating a division in a sentence, as in setting off a word, phrase, or clause, especially when such a division is accompanied by a slight pause or is to be noted in order to give order to the sequential elements of the sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list, to mark off thousands in numerals, to separate types or levels of information in bibliographic and other data, and, in many European countries, as a decimal point.
2. Classical Prosody.
   1. a fragment or smaller section of a colon.
   2. the part of dactylic hexameter beginning or ending with the caesura.
   3. the caesura itself.
3. Music. the minute, virtually unheard difference in pitch between two enharmonic tones, as G♯ and A♭.
4. any of several nymphalid butterflies, including the North American Polygonia comma, having a comma-shaped silver mark on the underside of each hindwing.

comma

/ ˈkɒmə /

noun

1. the punctuation mark(,) indicating a slight pause in the spoken sentence and used where there is a listing of items or to separate a nonrestrictive clause or phrase from a main clause
2. music a minute interval
3. See comma butterfly
   short for comma butterfly

comma

1. A punctuation mark (,) used to indicate pauses and to separate elements within a sentence. “The forest abounds with oak, elm, and beech trees”; “The bassoon player was born in Roanoke, Virginia, on December 29, 1957.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of comma¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Late Latin: “mark of punctuation,” Latin: “division of a phrase,” from Greek kómma “piece cut off” (referring to the phrase so marked), equivalent to kop- (base of kóptein “to cut, gnaw, strike”) + -ma, noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of comma¹

C16: from Latin, from Greek komma clause, from koptein to cut

Example Sentences

I wanted it to be a dramedy, although I’d call it more of a comma.

From Washington Post

Fake ones use more generic words like “vacation,” “family” and “experience” accompanied by a lot of commas and exclamation marks.

From Washington Post

The analysis found characteristics strongly suggestive of bots — such as double commas and dangling commas that often appear with automatic scripts — though at least some of the accounts were being operated by humans.

From Washington Post

Cut down on any unnecessary characters like commas and spaces.

From Search Engine Watch

Those little tiny objects are made up of unintelligible commas, spaces, numbers and all sorts of nebulous characters.

From Search Engine Watch

Can it be exported to Excel, or a comma-separated file, for instance?

From The Daily Beast

It was more like punctuation, a real life comma that emphasizes the constant pressures of our daily schedule.

From The Daily Beast

Sort of a combination grammar and punctuation problem, is what I call the “however comma splice.”

From The Daily Beast

Power is the subject, and the execution is precise—even if this book will make you miss the comma terribly.

From The Daily Beast

Is it a kind of punctuation, part comma, part full stop, part interrogatory mark?

From The Daily Beast

It was bordered by trees for almost its entire length on both sides, and it was shaped like a enormous, elongated comma.

From Project Gutenberg

Page 229 Chapter X a comma was inserted in the phrase 'he would secure the competence he had yearned for, for so many years'.

From Project Gutenberg

It was done to please him; for I omitted neither accent, nor comma, nor the minutest tittle of all he had marked down.

From Project Gutenberg

Lucas bore it patiently; he didn't want his great-grandchildren and Elaine's shooting it out over a matter of a misplaced comma.

From Project Gutenberg

And even if nobody read it through, not even a reviewer, I should have to without skipping a word or a comma.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Comma

What is a comma?

The comma (,) is a punctuation mark that indicates a pause in a sentence, sets off words, phrases, or clauses, separates items in a list, and performs many other functions.

The comma is one of the most versatile and commonly misused punctuation marks in English. It serves many different functions in English, such as:

• Indicating a pause in speech: I was walking down the street and, um, I was hit with a pie by a clown. 
• Separating items in a list: I put my shirts, pants, and socks into my suitcase.
• Separating adjectives: LaShona has a big, hairy dog. 
• In numbers larger than 999: I bought a computer for $1,300.
• In dates and addresses: I visited Des Moines, Iowa, on October 17, 2005.

There are many more jobs commas do. For more detailed information on how to properly use commas, read our thorough guide on them.

Why is comma important?

The first records of the word comma come from around 1520. It ultimately comes from the Greek kómma, meaning “a piece cut off.”

Were you surprised that the word comma only dates back to around 1520? In fact, commas themselves aren’t that much older and can be traced back to the first printing of books during the mid-1400s. Before this, writers would use dots and dashes to indicate pauses or separations. The early writers, such as those in ancient Rome and Greece, didn’t use any punctuation at all and all of the writing was scrunched together into large blocks of letters.

Did you know … ?

The comma that is used before the final item in a list is called the Oxford comma (sometimes also called the Harvard comma or the serial comma). This particular comma has surprisingly been a source of debate, and some writing styles, such as the Associated Press, don’t require it to be used. However, omitting the Oxford comma can sometimes lead to some pretty silly sentences.

What are real-life examples of comma?

This funny magazine cover shows why it is important to use commas.

<img loading="lazy" src="https://willhillier.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/major-copywriting-fails-1.jpg?w=272&amp;h=300" alt="" width="380" height="418" />

willhillier.com

Because they have so many functions, commas confuse even native English speakers.

The big thing I've learned by proofreading a lot of work written by adults is the majority of y'all never learned how to properly use a comma.

— Mik Drake (@MikDrake) January 8, 2021

I took the Grammar Table to Central Park today, and the first, second, and third visitors all asked about the Oxford comma. There is some serious pent-up pandemic demand for Oxford comma discussions.

— Ellen at the Grammar Table (@GrammarTable) September 14, 2021

 

What other words are related to comma?

• punctuation mark
• Oxford comma
• grammar
• apostrophe
• period
• colon
• semicolon
• quotation mark

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

You can end a sentence with a comma.