[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/semicolon/)

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# semicolon

noun (a semicolon, semicolons)

«semicolon» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A semicolon is the punctuation mark ; which joins two closely linked full sentences. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/#m1)
2. A semicolon can also separate items in a long list when the items already contain commas. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/#m2)

### In the lessons

In grammar lessons (and UK SATs), pupils learn to use a semicolon between two main clauses: «It was raining; we stayed in.» It is stronger than a comma but weaker than a full stop. In computer coding, many languages end each line with a semicolon.

### Examples

- It was late; we went home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/#x1)
- A semicolon looks like a dot on top of a comma. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/#x2)
- Use a semicolon to join two related sentences. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/#x3)
- We visited Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Dublin, Ireland. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/#x4)
- In some code you must end each line with a semicolon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/#x5)
- I love reading; my brother loves football. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/#x6)

### Note

Do not use a semicolon before «and/but» joining short clauses, and do not use it to start a list (that's a colon :). Both sides of a semicolon should usually be full sentences.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «semicolon» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semicolon/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«semicolon» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/semicolon.html) on Mova free.