abbreviation

etc.

et SET-uh-ruh

Etc. (abbreviation) means And other things of the same kind; used at the end of a list to show it could be continued. Example: “Bring a pen, notebook, calculator, etc.”

abbreviation

And other things of the same kind; used at the end of a list to show it could be continued.

"Bring a pen, notebook, calculator, etc."

"The shop sells rope, canvas, tarpaulins, etc."

informal Used to suggest, sometimes wearily, that the rest of a familiar sequence is too obvious or tedious to spell out.

"He gave the usual speech about teamwork, commitment, etc."

How to Use Etc.

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA short way of saying 'and other things like these' at the end of a list.

When to use it

Fine in ordinary prose and notes; avoid in formal academic writing, where a complete list or 'such as' is preferred.

Memory tip

Keep the full stop even mid-sentence, and use only one when 'etc.' ends the sentence.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

ect. et al. → i.e. → e.g. →

Common pairings

and so on, etc. books, papers, etc. etc., etc.

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Etymology

An abbreviation of Latin et cetera, meaning 'and the rest'.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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and so on and so forth and the like et cetera

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'etc.' and 'et al.'?

'Etc.' means 'and the rest' and is used for things, ideas or actions. 'Et al.' means 'and others' and is used for people, especially co-authors of a cited work. Use 'etc.' for objects and 'et al.' for names.

Should you write 'and etc.'?

No. 'Et' already means 'and', so 'and etc.' says 'and and the rest'. Write just 'etc.', and never use it after 'such as' or 'for example', since those phrases already signal an incomplete list.

Is 'ect.' a correct spelling?

No, though it is one of the most common misspellings in English. The Latin is et cetera, so the abbreviation is e-t-c with the 'c' before the 't' only in 'cetera'. Remember it as 'et' plus 'c' for cetera.