What does apostrophe mean?
An apostrophe is a small but consequential piece of punctuation: a raised comma-like mark (') with two principal jobs in English writing. First, it indicates possession, as in "the teacher's desk" or "the students' essays." Second, it marks omitted letters in contractions, as in "can't," "won't," and "you're." Despite its tiny size, the apostrophe is one of the most frequently misused marks in English, giving rise to the so-called grocer's apostrophe — the incorrect insertion of an apostrophe into ordinary plurals such as "apple's for sale." The word itself comes from Greek, meaning "turning away," originally referring to the rhetorical device of addressing an absent person or abstract idea, as when a poet speaks directly to Death or Fortune. That literary sense survives today mainly in academic contexts, while the punctuation sense dominates everyday use.
A punctuation mark (') used to indicate possession or the omission of letters, as in contractions.
"Add an apostrophe after the s to make it plural possessive: "the boys' coats.""
In rhetoric, an address to an absent or imaginary person, abstraction, or thing, often for dramatic effect.
"Milton employs apostrophe when he invokes light itself at the opening of Book III of Paradise Lost."
Standard plural form; no special irregularity.
"The manuscript was riddled with misplaced apostrophes."
The word 'apostrophe' literally means 'turning away' — because the punctuation mark was seen as a mark that turns letters away, omitting them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apostrophe
Apostrophe derives ultimately from the Greek 'apostrophē', meaning 'turning away' or 'aversion', formed from 'apo-' ('away from') plus 'strephein' ('to turn'). The term entered English via Latin and French in the early modern period, first referring to the rhetorical figure of turning aside to address an absent party. The punctuation mark acquired its name later, by analogy: the omitted letters were thought of as being 'turned away'. Related words from the same Greek root include apostasy, apostate, and apostle, all involving ideas of standing off or being sent forth.
Related word forms
How apostrophe is actually used
The first sense is by far the most common in everyday usage; the rhetorical sense appears mainly in literary criticism and classical rhetoric discussions.
Easily confused with apostrophe
An apostrophe marks possession or omitted letters, while quotation marks enclose quoted speech or text.