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 In fact, cameras are generally a better solution full stop. Matt Crisara, Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023 In cinematic terms, regime change lends itself to a full stop or climax. Catherine Bray, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023 Rain over the last 24 hours has created a situation that required a full stop of vehicle movement on the playa. Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2023 The eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic now features a new liftoff mode that shifts down with velvet gloves until the vehicle comes to a full stop. Georg Kacher, Car and Driver, 22 Aug. 2023 Because work on the project came to a full stop, those issues have not yet been resolved, Wilber said on Friday. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Aug. 2023 At 70 mph, the worst performers require an additional 30 feet to reach a full stop. Oliver Broudy, Men's Health, 17 Aug. 2023 For a wild animal, the dramatic stakes consist of survival and reproduction, full stop. Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2023 Scripted to the point of obeying all the full stops and the ellipses and the hyphens. Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'full stop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 27 Sep. 2023.

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