What does comma mean?
A comma is a punctuation mark (,) that signals a brief pause or separates structural elements within a sentence. It sets off items in a list, delimits clauses, encloses parenthetical phrases, and clarifies meaning where ambiguity might otherwise arise. Despite its small size, the comma carries considerable weight: its presence or absence can change how — and sometimes what — a sentence communicates. Writers and editors have long debated particular uses, most famously the serial (or Oxford) comma placed before the final item of a list, which American style guides typically require and many British publications omit. Beyond typography, 'comma' has technical senses: in music theory it names a minute interval arising from discrepancies in tuning systems, and in entomology it refers to a European butterfly bearing a small white comma-shaped mark on its wings. The word entered English from Greek via Latin in the early seventeenth century, deriving from a Greek term for a piece cut off in writing.
A punctuation mark (,) used within sentences to separate words, phrases, or clauses, indicating a slight pause.
"Insert a comma between the two adjectives describing the same noun."
In music, a very small interval resulting from the discrepancy between different tuning systems.
"The Pythagorean comma measures roughly a quarter of a semitone."
A Eurasian butterfly (Polygonia c-album) with angular wings marked with a small white comma shape on the underside.
"We spotted a comma resting on a bramble leaf in the hedgerow."
The standard English plural; the Latinate form 'commata' exists only in highly specialized scholarly contexts and should not be used generally.
"Her essay was littered with stray commas that needed removing."
The comma gets its name from the Greek word for a 'piece cut off' — it was literally thought of as a snippet of a sentence, sliced away so readers could breathe.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of comma
The word 'comma' comes from the Greek 'komma', meaning 'a piece cut off' or 'a short clause', derived from 'koptein', 'to cut'. It passed into Latin and then into English in the early seventeenth century, initially referring to a portion of a sentence rather than the mark itself. The same Greek root underlies related terms about cutting or striking, though 'comma' itself remains the dominant English descendant in everyday vocabulary.
How comma is actually used
The comma is one of the most frequently used yet most contested marks of English punctuation; style guides differ notably on its use before the final item in a list (the serial or Oxford comma), which is standard in American usage but often omitted in British journalism. The plural is simply 'commas', never 'commata' in ordinary modern use.
Easily confused with comma
A coma is a prolonged state of unconsciousness, while a comma is a punctuation mark; the two differ by a single letter and in meaning entirely.