Etc. Punctuation
Etc. abbreviates et cetera and normally includes a period. When it is the final item in a declarative sentence, one period is enough; formal publications may also limit when the abbreviation is appropriate.
Write “etc.” with its abbreviation period. If it ends a declarative sentence, do not add a second period.
Key details
Important caveats
Style Boundary
Chicago discourages etc. in much formal prose and advises keeping style/context in mind; this is a mechanics guide, not a claim that every publication must use etc.
Further guidance
Form
Write the abbreviation as “etc.” when following the cited dictionary/Chicago form.
Practical Application
Write “etc.” with its abbreviation period. When it is the final item in a sentence, that same period can serve as the sentence-ending period; apply any additional comma or parenthetical punctuation required by the sentence structure or house style.
Reader Check
Is “etc.” ending the sentence, or is other punctuation required by the surrounding grammar?
Sentence End
When etc. ends a declarative sentence, the abbreviation period also serves as the sentence-ending period; do not type two periods in a row.
Worked Example
“Bring pens, paper, folders, etc.” ends with one period; do not type a second full stop after the abbreviation.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- ETC. — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Documents etc. as the abbreviation of et cetera meaning “and other similar things”
- Chicago Q&A — etc. at the end of a sentence (opens in a new tab)The Chicago Manual of Style / University of Chicago Press · Chicago guidance that etc. retains its abbreviation period and is generally limited in formal prose
- Chicago Q&A — punctuation after an abbreviation at sentence end (opens in a new tab)The Chicago Manual of Style / University of Chicago Press · Chicago guidance to use one period, not two, when a declarative sentence ends with a period-ending abbreviation