noun

ellipsis

ih-LIP-sis

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Ellipsis (noun) means a row of three dots (…) used in writing to show that words have been left out of a quotation, or that a thought trails away unfinished. Example: “The review quoted him as saying the film was "ambitious … but far too long".”

noun

A row of three dots (…) used in writing to show that words have been left out of a quotation, or that a thought trails away unfinished.

"The review quoted him as saying the film was "ambitious … but far too long"."

"She began, "I suppose if you really wanted to…" and stopped."

technical The leaving out of words from a sentence when the meaning is still clear without them.

""Sam plays piano and Jo guitar" uses ellipsis, since the second "plays" is understood."

How to use ellipsis

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe three dots that show something has been left out.

When to use it

Neutral; the grammatical sense belongs to linguistics and language teaching.

Memory tip

An ellipsis is punctuation; an ellipse is a stretched circle. They differ by one letter and share the plural ellipses.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

ellipsis vs ellipse ellipsis vs dash

Common pairings

an ellipsis indicates use an ellipsis trail off in an ellipsis

Vocabulary Flow

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “ellipsis” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

"Sam plays piano and Jo guitar" uses _____, since the second "plays" is understood.

Etymology

From Greek elleipsis "omission, a falling short", from elleipein "to leave out", via Latin.

Origin: Greek

Synonyms

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suspension points dot dot dot omission elision eclipsis

Related words

action exception skip oversight exclusion deletion omission elision

Frequently asked questions

How many dots are in an ellipsis?

Three. If the omission ends a sentence, a fourth dot may appear, but that is the full stop of the sentence rather than part of the ellipsis itself.

What is the plural of ellipsis?

Ellipses, pronounced ih-LIP-seez. Note that this is spelled the same as the plural of ellipse, the oval shape, though the two words are unrelated in meaning.

Should there be spaces around an ellipsis?

British style commonly puts a space either side, as in "ambitious … but long", while American style often closes it up or spaces each dot. Pick one convention and apply it consistently.

What is the meaning of ellipsis?

"ellipsis" (noun) means a row of three dots (…) used in writing to show that words have been left out of a quotation, or that a thought trails away unfinished.

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action exception skip oversight exclusion deletion omission elision