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

But no one really cared about pitch counts in that era, which could help explain why Koufax retired in the fall of ’66 at the age of 30, having pitched his last two seasons with an arthritic condition in a left elbow that Scully once remarked looked like a comma. —Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 8 Sep. 2025

Cooking by weight would fix this, but since volume is the American default, the comma denotes an important difference. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025

In the business world, a comma can carry enormous weight—especially in legal disputes. —Jason Richmond, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025

Names and figures are facts; commas can be, too. —Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 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