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

Starmer, a former human-rights lawyer, approaches every problem with an arid obsession with process rather than outcome—as if, when people follow every dot and comma of the rules, nothing bad can happen and no one should complain. —Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025

The business publication said Monday that Beyoncé now has three commas to her name, thanks to the success of Cowboy Carter and The Renaissance World Tour. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Dec. 2025

Here is a mom falling over cackling at the comma-rich DM her extremely funny daughter, Mandy Brooke, sent to Lil Wayne. —Julie Klausner, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025

The swim tracks were likely imprinted when the theropods scratched the bottom of the water with their middle toe, resulting in grooves that appear straight or curved, like a comma, the researchers noted. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Dec. 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