punctuation
noun
punc·tu·a·tion
ˌpəŋk-chə-ˈwā-shən 
1
: the act of punctuating : the state of being punctuated
2
: the act or practice of inserting standardized marks or signs in written matter to clarify the meaning and separate structural units
also
: a system of punctuation
3
: something that contrasts or accentuates
Examples of punctuation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pay special attention to capitalization, enjambment, line breaks, and punctuation.
—
Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
The app doesn’t use special commands and recognizes human speech before handling punctuation and formatting.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Entries cover guidance on punctuation and semantics, but also offer instruction around The Times’s specific practices, such as the paper’s stance on courtesy titles and how numbers should be rendered in headlines.
—Sara Aridi, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Scripts for individual scenes often weren’t completed until hours before they were filmed — with actors still expected to be precise with David’s distinct language, and even punctuation, despite the lack of prep time.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for punctuation
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Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
The app doesn’t use special commands and recognizes human speech before handling punctuation and formatting.
—Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Entries cover guidance on punctuation and semantics, but also offer instruction around The Times’s specific practices, such as the paper’s stance on courtesy titles and how numbers should be rendered in headlines.
—Sara Aridi, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Scripts for individual scenes often weren’t completed until hours before they were filmed — with actors still expected to be precise with David’s distinct language, and even punctuation, despite the lack of prep time.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for punctuation
Cite this Entry
“Punctuation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punctuation. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
punctuation
noun
punc·tu·a·tion
ˌpəŋ(k)-chə-ˈwā-shən
: the act, practice, or system of inserting punctuation marks in written matter to make the meaning clear and separate parts (as clauses or sentences)
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