full stop

noun

chiefly British
: a point . used to show the end of a sentence or an abbreviation : period sense 5a
… the full stop after the roman numeral …Eric Korn
He found that a full stop expressed his feelings too violently, and wrote the letter again, for the fifth time …Anthony Trollope
… ordered the initials 'F. C. W. K.,' with the customary untrained grape-vine-looking flourishes, and a large full stop, to be engraved forthwith.Charles Dickens
used interjectionally to emphasize the finality of the preceding statement
… when it comes to parenting she's the boss, full stop.Pamela Druckerman

Examples of full stop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But a powerful personality takes a while to come to a full stop. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2024 The rise and fall from comma to comma, the full stop in a period: In the face of uncertainty, of not knowing when the pain will end, Small Rain’s sentences transform the clinical narration of a hospital stay into the soothing murmur of a prayer, or the steady sound of rain. Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2024 That is to say, this brand makes our all time favorite rice cookers—full stop. Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit, 9 Oct. 2024 But there wasn't really a lot of that around me, full stop, growing up in the ‘80s in Belfast. Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for full stop 

Word History

First Known Use

1643, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of full stop was in 1643

Dictionary Entries Near full stop

Cite this Entry

“Full stop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full%20stop. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

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