punctuation

noun

punc·​tu·​a·​tion ˌpəŋk-chə-ˈwā-shən 

1

: the act of punctuating : the state of being punctuated

2

: the act or practice of inserting standardized marks or signs in written matter to clarify the meaning and separate structural units

also : a system of punctuation

3

: something that contrasts or accentuates

Examples of punctuation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The style rules that rankle conservatives are nested among thousands of Stylebook directives about punctuation and grammar, most of them time-tested and innocuous — capitalization, commas and company names. —Marc Caputo, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025

The best character breaks feel like more like punctuation than unprofessionalism, and this 2015 sketch ended up being so popular the format has been repeated several times. —Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2025

The slow-burn setup (even despite punctuations of mad violence) all leads to the requisite gala centerpiece, where the quote-unquote new and improved Elvira is revealed to her potential Prince. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 24 Jan. 2025

The decision to make the character a roast comic — with a signature mic-drop joke punctuation, repeated a bananas number of times — takes this desk piece to the next level. —Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 19 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing punctuation

• punctuation mark

Kids Definition

punctuation

noun

punc·​tu·​a·​tion ˌpəŋ(k)-chə-ˈwā-shən 

: the act, practice, or system of inserting punctuation marks in written matter to make the meaning clear and separate parts (as clauses or sentences)