et al.

¹ American  

[et al, ahl, awl] / ɛt ˈæl, ˈɑl, ˈɔl /

abbreviation

1. and others.

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et al. ² American  

[et al, ahl, awl] / ɛt ˈæl, ˈɑl, ˈɔl /

abbreviation

1. and elsewhere.

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et al. British  

abbreviation

1. et alibi

2. et alii

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Usage

What does et al. mean? Et al. is an abbreviation used to mean “and others.” It’s usually used when listing people, and it always comes at the end of the list. Et al. comes from Latin and is an abbreviation of et aliī (or variations of the phrase), literally translating as “and others.”It’s typically used in cases in which people are being listed, but there are too many (or there is not enough space) to list all of them by name. It’s commonly used in academic writing when citing a written work that has several authors. What is the difference between et al. and etc. (et cetera)? Although et cetera literally translates as “and the other,” as in “and the other things,” it’s typically used to mean “and so on” or “and so forth”—meaning something like “and similar things.”Example: The groundbreaking study was conducted by Eiseman et al.

Etymology

Origin of et al.¹

< Latin et aliī (masculine plural), et alia (neuter plural)

Origin of et al.²

From Latin et alibi

Example Sentences

"Ripple et al. argued that carnivore recovery produced one of the world's strongest trophic cascades," said Dr. Daniel MacNulty, lead author and wildlife ecologist at Utah State University.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2026

To get around this awkwardness, Winthrop et al. propagated the notion—formalized in the colony’s 1629 seal—that the Native Americans needed the new settlers for their own good.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

It is nearly impossible to return to the past, but hopefully Martin Jarmond, et al., will give Mr. Bolch’s ideas serious consideration.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2025

The decision comes nearly a year after the U.S., et al. v.

From Salon • Aug. 6, 2024

In a 2006 study, Tallal et al. suggest relationships between musical training, auditory processing, language, and literary skills.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin