What semicolon means?

: a punctuation mark; that can be used to separate parts of a sentence which need clearer separation than would be shown by a comma, to separate main clauses which have no conjunction between, and to separate phrases and clauses containing commas.

What’s a sentence with a semicolon?

A semicolon is used to join together two sentences that are related, telling us that they are directly related. So we can join the girl running and the dog yapping right on her heels with a semicolon. You have to use two independent clauses, or complete thoughts. Your second thought can’t be dependent on the first.

What is the semicolon symbol?

The semicolon or semi-colon ; is a symbol commonly used as orthographic punctuation. In the English language, a semicolon is most commonly used to link (in a single sentence) two independent clauses that are closely related in thought.

What does semicolon look like?

The semicolon looks like a comma with a period above it, and this can be a good way to remember what it does. A semicolon creates more separation between thoughts than a comma does but less than a period does.

Where is semicolon used?

A semicolon is most commonly used to link (in a single sentence) two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. When a semicolon is used to join two or more ideas (parts) in a sentence, those ideas are then given equal position or rank.

Who invented the semicolon?

Aldus Manutius
The modern semicolon was invented in Venice, in 1494, by the printer and publisher Aldus Manutius, and, for much of history, it had no strictly defined function. It acted like a musical notation, allowing for a pause somewhere between the beat of a comma and a colon (hence its mongrel design).

Why is semicolon used?