What Is an Ellipsis? | Definition, Meaning & Examples
An ellipsis (plural ellipses) is the deliberate omission of one or more words from a sentence because their meaning is implied by context. It is also the name of the punctuation mark (“…”) used to indicate missing words, a pause, or an unfinished thought.
“I was thinking about … never mind.” (ellipsis to signal hesitation)
Ellipsis is a versatile linguistic tool allowing for brevity, ambiguity, and dramatic effect. We encounter it in literature, speech, and everyday communication.
What is an ellipsis?
An ellipsis has two main functions: it serves as a grammatical tool to avoid repetition and as a literary device for dramatic effect. It can also refer to the punctuation mark (“…”) that shows omitted text.
In grammar, ellipsis (also called elliptical construction or elliptical expression) involves leaving out one or more words that must be supplied by the listener or reader. This omission is typically unmarked, meaning it is not indicated by punctuation. For example, “He likes coffee, she tea.” Here, “likes” is omitted in the second clause but understood from the first.
In literature and rhetoric, ellipses create pauses, build suspense, or indicate something left unsaid. This use is marked by punctuation (“…”). For example, “I was wondering … but it doesn’t matter now.” Here, the ellipsis creates a dramatic pause and suggests hesitation or unexpressed thoughts.
When to use an ellipsis
An ellipsis can serve multiple purposes in writing, depending on the context.
- To shorten a long quote. An ellipsis is commonly used to indicate a word or words have been removed from a direct quote to make it more concise. For example, “The committee has decided to approve the new policy for all departments starting next month” can become “The committee has decided to approve the new policy … starting next month.”
- To represent a pause or break. In dialogue and narrative writing, an ellipsis can show hesitation or thoughtful pauses, mirroring the way people speak. For example, “I’m not sure how to say this … but I’m leaving.”
- To build suspense or tension. Ellipsis is often used in storytelling to hint at something left unsaid and create anticipation. For example, “She slowly opened the creaking door …”
- To indicate trailing off. When a thought is left incomplete, an ellipsis can show this. For example, “I wonder what would have happened if …” This suggests the speaker’s voice or thoughts have drifted off. This use is common in dialogue to reflect the natural flow of conversation.
Ellipses in quotes
Ellipses help writers condense texts for clarity or emphasis, ensuring that quotes remain both concise and accurate.
Condensed quote: “Mere chance … alone would never account for so habitual and large an amount of difference as that between varieties of the same species and species of the same genus.”
—On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
It is rarely necessary to use ellipsis points at the beginning of a quotation, even if it begins mid-sentence. In most cases, you can omit the ellipsis and adjust the capitalization of the first word to fit your sentence. When omitting material within or at the end of a quote, ellipses are used to show that text has been removed.
“Mere chance, as we may call it, might cause one variety to differ in some character from its parents, and the offspring of this variety again to differ from its parent in the very same character and in a greater degree.”
Quoted text:
Darwin proposed that “mere chance might cause one variety to differ in some character from its parents, and the offspring of this variety again to differ from its parent in the very same character.”
In this example, no ellipsis is used at the beginning, even though the quotation starts mid-sentence, and the capitalization of “Mere” has been adjusted to fit seamlessly into the new context.
In formal writing, different style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago) provide specific rules for using ellipses in quotes.
| Style guide | Quote |
|---|---|
| Chicago style: Omits the ellipsis at the end of a truncated sentence and uses a period instead. | “Mere chance…might cause one variety to differ … but this alone would never account for so habitual and large an amount of difference.” |
| MLA style: Retains the ellipsis at the end of a truncated sentence. | “Mere chance…might cause one variety to differ…but this alone would never account for so habitual and large an amount of difference . . . .” |
Ellipsis in writing
In different types of writing, ellipsis serves distinct purposes and follows varying conventions.
Ellipsis in literature
Ellipsis serves various purposes in narrative writing beyond basic dialogue functions, including:
- Advancing the storyline. Ellipsis helps writers skip routine or unnecessary details while maintaining the story’s flow. For example, authors will typically condense or omit a character’s morning routine to move the narrative forward to a new scene, trusting readers’ ability to fill in the gaps.
- Replacing proper nouns. In the past, ellipses were often used as placeholders to omit names or other identifying information, especially in sensitive or confidential contexts. For example, “Mr. … was seen entering the building at midnight.”
- Replacing expletives. Similarly, ellipses were used to censor offensive language or curse words. For example, “He called me a … and stormed out.”
- Creating emotional resonance. Ellipsis in a sentence such as “He stood there, waiting … and waiting … but she never came” heightens tension and conveys the character’s prolonged anticipation.
In this narrative passage, ellipsis facilitates narrative flow, allowing readers to fill in Mrs. Dalloway’s brief contemplation without needing to detail every thought.
Ellipsis in poetry
In poetry, ellipsis can refer to both the punctuation mark and the intentional omission of words that can be inferred from context. Shakespeare demonstrates this second type when he uses phrases like “I will away,” where the verb “go” is omitted without losing meaning.
As a punctuation mark, poets use ellipsis at the caesura (natural pause in a line) to create thought pauses. Both techniques serve as important poetic devices, helping to highlight irony, encourage reflection, and create more concise expressions.
Or clasped the yellow soles of feet
In the palms of both soiled hands.
—“Preludes” by T.S. Eliot
The possessive “your” is omitted in the second and third lines, but it can be inferred that the woman addressed by the speaker is clasping the soles of her own feet with her own hands.
Ellipsis examples
Tolstoy’s famous opening to “Anna Karenina” uses ellipsis to encourage readers to contemplate the implication of this observation.
The ellipsis suggests there’s more to be said about the nature of happiness and unhappiness but leaves it to the reader’s imagination. At the same time, it creates anticipation about how this observation will play out in the story.
The following passage from The Great Gatsby showcases how ellipsis can function on a narrative level by omitting a significant chunk of time and action.
“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
“Keep your hands off the lever,” snapped the elevator boy.
“I beg your pardon,” said Mr. McKee with dignity, “I didn’t know I was touching it.”
“All right,” I agreed, “I’ll be glad to.”
… I was standing beside his bed and he was sitting up between the sheets, clad in his underwear, with a great portfolio in his hands.
Here, Fitzgerald uses ellipsis to create a dramatic scene transition, omitting the events between the elevator ride and the bedroom scene. This leaves readers to fill in the gap, while suggesting a potentially scandalous or intimate moment without explicitly stating what happened.
Frequently asked questions about ellipsisi
- What is the plural of ellipsis?
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The plural form of ellipsis is ellipses. For example, “The text was filled with ellipses, suggesting omitted material.” The term comes from the Greek word “elleipsis”, meaning “omission.” An ellipsis consists of three dots (“…” ).
- What do three dots mean?
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Three dots stand for a single punctuation mark called ellipsis (“…”). It serves various purposes, such as indicating the omission of words, signaling an incomplete thought, or expressing hesitation. When you are texting and the “…” symbol pops up, it means the other person is currently typing a response.
- What is the ellipsis symbol?
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The ellipsis symbol is a series of three dots (“…”). It is a special character that some word-processing apps automatically create when you type three periods in a row. An ellipsis shows that something has been omitted from quoted text, or that a speaker or writer has paused or trailed off in speech or thought. While the ellipsis is often formatted with spaces between the dots (“ . . . ”), some style guides (e.g., AP Style) prefer the three dots without spaces (“…”).
