comma

noun

com·​ma ˈkä-mə 

1

: a punctuation mark, used especially as a mark of separation within the sentence

2

: pause, interval

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

That pitcher would preferably sign a contract without too many zeros and commas. —Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 19 May 2025

Laura is a proud former resident of the New Jersey shore, a competitive swimmer, and a fierce defender of the Oxford comma. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 17 Apr. 2025

The number of commas (at least two) in the amount Russell could be worth blew Baratz away. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 June 2025

It’s also used in complex lists to separate items that might contain commas already. —Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 June 2025

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

Phrases Containing comma

• comma fault
• comma splice
• inverted comma

Rhymes for comma

• brahma
• chama
• dama
• drama
• gama
• lama
• llama
• mama
• mamma
• momma
• rama
• sama

Video

The Serial Comma Explained

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

Kids Definition

comma

noun

com·​ma ˈkäm-ə 

: a punctuation mark , used chiefly to show separation of words or word groups within a sentence