paragraph

noun par·a·graph \ ˈper-ə-ˌgraf , ˈpa-rə- \

Updated on: 20 Apr 2018

Definition of paragraph

1 a : a subdivision of a written composition that consists of one or more sentences, deals with one point or gives the words of one speaker, and begins on a new usually indented line

The introductory paragraphs were written by the editor.

b : a short composition or note that is complete in one paragraph

2 : a character (such as ¶) used to indicate the beginning of a paragraph and as a reference mark

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paragraphic

play \ˌper-ə-ˈgra-fik, ˌpa-rə-\ adjective

See paragraph defined for English-language learners

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Examples of paragraph in a Sentence

In the second paragraph from the bottom, you've misspelled “their” as “thier.”
Please refer to section 2, paragraph 4 for the appropriate information.
The two introductory paragraphs were written by the editor.

Recent Examples of paragraph from the Web

Just a couple of paragraphs about these two boys and that was it.

— elly belle, Teen Vogue, ""Roll Red Roll" Film About Steubenville Rape to Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival," 12 Apr. 2018
Fifteen months later, Sacramento’s first black police chief sent a two-paragraph letter to the family.

— NBC News, "Their brother was shot by Sacramento police in 2016. Stephon Clark's death has reopened the wound.," 31 Mar. 2018
Thanks for catching my mistake in the third paragraph, your stuff always looks so polished.

— sophia benoit, GQ, "How to Compliment a Woman Without Making It Weird," 28 Mar. 2018
That was identical to the last sentence of Landers’ first paragraph.

— matthew kauffman, courant.com, "Somers Principal Given Three-Day Suspension In Plagiarism Case," 23 Mar. 2018
The author’s mold-breaking use of short paragraphs and abundant dialogue provided a template for the modern page-turner.

— tobias grey, WSJ, "Alexandre Dumas’s Brotherly Love," 16 Mar. 2018
But rather than dwell on the moral implications of this violent and false imprisonment of a black man, Jones almost speeds through it; specifics of the arrest and the trial are provided in a matter of paragraphs.

— tori latham, The Atlantic, "The Epistolary Heart of An American Marriage," 7 Mar. 2018
The announcement came in a two-paragraph notice from a clerk at the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

— anne blythe, charlotteobserver, "NC won’t have primaries in May for judicial races after all," 10 Feb. 2018
Missouri’s softball season begins Feb. 8 in Tempe, Ariz. Earleywine said in nine-paragraph long statement that there was no singular incident that led to his termination.

— alex schiffer, kansascity, "Former Mizzou softball coach Ehren Earleywine says he was ‘totally blindsided’ by firing," 27 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'paragraph.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of paragraph

Middle English paragraf marginal sign marking a paragraph, from Anglo-French parogref, from Medieval Latin paragraphus, from Greek paragraphos line used to mark change of persons in a dialogue, from paragraphein to write alongside, from para- + graphein to write — more at carve

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First Known Use: 15th century

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