comma

noun

com·​ma ˈkä-mə How to pronounce comma (audio)
1
: a punctuation mark, used especially as a mark of separation within the sentence
2
3
: any of several nymphalid butterflies (genus Polygonia) with a silvery comma-shaped mark on the underside of the hind wings

Examples of comma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gemini’s poem doesn’t use punctuation beyond commas and periods, while Copilot’s poem feels lacking with its line breaks and enjambment that read like prose. PC Magazine, 29 May 2025 None of the jazz conversation without full stops and commas. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 28 May 2025 Gemini took care with its enjambment, carefully crafting stanzas, but didn’t use punctuation outside of periods and commas. PC Magazine, 6 May 2025 Note that there is no comma—no Oxford comma, that is, beloved of this publication and often scorned elsewhere—before the conjunction. Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 5 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for comma

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Latin, part of a sentence, from Greek komma segment, clause, from koptein to cut — more at capon

First Known Use

1554, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of comma was in 1554

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Comma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comma. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

comma

noun
com·​ma ˈkäm-ə How to pronounce comma (audio)
: a punctuation mark , used chiefly to show separation of words or word groups within a sentence

More from Merriam-Webster on comma

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