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.
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.
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