variants:
or less commonly series comma
Definition of serial comma
: a comma used to separate the second-to-last item in a list from a final item introduced by the conjunction and or or
If you've always used the serial comma—"red, white, and blue"—its absence can look slipshod and lazy. If you were taught the more streamlined AP style—"red, white and blue"—the extra comma may seem fussy and pretentious.— Jan Freeman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3 Apr. 2011
— called also Harvard comma, Oxford comma
Learn More About serial comma
Watch More on serial comma
The Serial Comma Explained
Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?
Statistics for serial comma
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Serial comma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serial%20comma. Accessed 4 Jul. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Words Named After People
-
- Namesake of the leotard, Jules Léotard had what profession?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
Brand Name Vocabulary Quiz
You’re gonna need some moxie to ace this quiz
Take the quiz
-
Commonly Confused Words Quiz
Take a (break/brake) and (pore/pour) over this (c...
Take the quiz
-
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question ...
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz
Share serial comma
Time Traveler for serial comma
The first known use of serial comma was in 1922
See more words from the same year