l

1 of 4

noun

ˈel 

variants often L

plural l's or ls ˈelz 

often attributive

1

a

: the 12th letter of the English alphabet

b

: a graphic representation of this letter

c

: a speech counterpart of orthographic l

2

: fifty see Table of Numbers

3

: a graphic device for reproducing the letter l

4

: one designated l especially as the 12th in order or class

5

: something shaped like the letter L

specifically : ell entry 2 sense 1

6

: el entry 2

l

2 of 4

abbreviation (1)

1

lady

2

lake

3

lambert

4

land

5

large

6

late

7

left

8

length

9

[Latin libra] pound

10

line

11

liquid

12

lira

13

liter

14

little

15

low

L

3 of 4

abbreviation (2)

1

Lagrangian

2

long

3

loss; losses

l-

4 of 4

prefix

1

ˌlē-(ˌ)vō, 

ˌel, 

ˈel

: levorotatory

l-tartaric acid

2

ˌel, 

ˈel

: having a similar configuration at a selected carbon atom to the configuration of levorotatory glyceraldehyde

—usually printed as a small capital

l-fructose

Examples of l in a Sentence

Noun

a word that starts with an l

a word that starts with l

Abbreviation (1)

The area of a rectangle is L x W.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The seven members of mission 51-L, the 25th space shuttle mission, had just lifted off from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-B and were climbing east over the Atlantic. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026

As vehicle testing continues, confirmation from OEMs that the QSE-5 cells sustain their energy density (over 800 Wh/L) under real-world conditions will represent a significant de-risking event. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) speaks with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 28, 2025. —Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Jan. 2026

No major program was as synonymous with losing as Indiana, though Northwestern, which this season passed the Hoosiers for most L’s in college history, was a close second. —Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026

The small-market Brewers delighted in knocking out the Cubs from the playoffs this past fall, even posing with an L flag that a fan brought into the ballpark. —Jon Greenberg, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026

In place of the rear bench stands the 91-L door fridge, an uncommon placement that looks quite convenient for grabbing a cold drink or sandwich from the driver's cab. —New Atlas, 14 Jan. 2026

Neither team arrives in top form, Pack on a four-game losing streak and Bears after two straight L’s. —Greg Cote january 8, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2026

The pure form, L-ascorbic acid, is powerful but unstable. —Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 31 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Prefix

International Scientific Vocabulary, from lev-

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

l

noun

ˈel

often capitalized

1

: the 12th letter of the English alphabet

2

: fifty in Roman numerals

Medical Definition

L

1 of 3 abbreviation

1

left

2

levorotatory

3

light

4

liquid

5

liter

6

lumbar

—used especially with a number from 1 to 5 to indicate a vertebra or segment of the spinal cord in the lumbar region

L

2 of 3 symbol

lithium

l-

3 of 3 prefix

1

ˌlē-(ˌ)vō, ˌel, ˈel

: levorotatory

—usually printed in italic

l-tartaric acid

2

ˌel, ˈel

: having a similar configuration at a selected carbon atom to the configuration of levorotatory glyceraldehyde

—usually printed as a small capital

L-fructose

L-tryptophan