What does ampersand mean?
An ampersand is the typographic symbol '&' used to represent the word 'and'. It appears most often in company names ('Marks & Spencer'), abbreviations ('R&D', 'AT&T'), logos, and informal or decorative text, where it lends a compact, stylish alternative to spelling out the conjunction. In formal prose and academic writing it is generally avoided in favour of the full word 'and'. The symbol derives from a ligature — a joining of the letters e and t from the Latin word 'et', meaning 'and'. Its curious English name arose in the nineteenth century: when schoolchildren recited the alphabet, which then sometimes ended with the symbol, they would say 'X, Y, Z, and per se and', meaning 'and [the symbol] by itself [stands for] and'. The phrase was slurred over time into the single word 'ampersand'. Today the character remains a familiar fixture of keyboards, typography, and branding worldwide.
nounThe character '&' (or '&'), used to represent the word 'and', especially in informal writing, company names, and abbreviations.
- The typographic symbol '&' representing the word 'and'.
"The firm's letterhead read 'Smith & Jones' in elegant script."
"The company name 'Johnson & Johnson' features an ampersand between the two surnames."
"In HTML code, an ampersand begins special character entities such as & for the ampersand itself."
Standard plural; used when referring to multiple instances of the symbol.
"The old printing manual devoted a whole chapter to drawing elegant ampersands."
The ampersand was once taught as the 27th letter of the alphabet — and its name comes from schoolchildren reciting 'and per se and' at the end of their ABCs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ampersand
The ampersand symbol originated as a Roman-era ligature combining the letters E and T of the Latin word 'et', meaning 'and'; the joined form resembles a stylised '&' and has been traced back to ancient Roman script. The English word 'ampersand' itself emerged in the early nineteenth century from the practice of reciting the alphabet with the symbol appended at the end: pupils would say 'and per se and' — 'and, by itself, [means] and' — which contracted into 'ampersand'. The word is thus a folk-etymological blend rather than a borrowing from Latin, though the symbol's roots lie firmly in Latin script.
How ampersand is actually used
The ampersand is common in informal writing, business names, logos, and abbreviations (e.g., 'R&D'), but is generally avoided in formal prose, where the written word 'and' is preferred.
Easily confused with ampersand
'And' is the full conjunction word, while the ampersand is the single typographic symbol '&' that stands for it.