How do you Abbreviate “Paragraph”?
There are two different “paragraph” abbreviations.
● Par.
● Para.
These two common abbreviations are also sometimes written as “par” or “para” without periods, though including a period is the most grammatically correct way to abbreviation the word “paragraph.” Sometimes in editing processes, notes about the paragraph with this abbreviation will be written next to the page numbers of the document. This is commonly seen in MLA style and APA style documents or edits. Other types of style guides for editing documents will typically include “para” or “par” as words to use when referring to paragraphs in text citations. Many works cited pages will include “par” or “para” to note a reference used for a specific paragraph in a piece of writing, depending on the type of publication or editor doing the work.
If you are abbreviating “paragraph” plurally, it would be written as “pars.” or “paras.”
What Does “Paragraph” Mean?
According to Dictionary.com, the definition of “building” is as follows:
Paragraph [ par-uh-graf, -grahf ] noun / verb
Noun
- a distinct portion of written or printed matter dealing with a particular idea, usually beginning with an indentation on a new line.
- a paragraph mark.
- a note, item, or brief article, as in a newspaper.
Verb (used with object)
- to divide into paragraphs.
- to write or publish paragraphs about, as in a newspaper.
- to express in a paragraph.
Synonyms
component
- element
- feature
- information
- piece
- thing
- account
- aspect
- bit
- blurb
- bulletin
- column
- column
- consideration
- detail
- dispatch
- entry
- incidental
- matter
- minutia
- news
- note
- notice
- novelty
- particular
- point
- report
- scoop
- scrap
- specific
- story
- conversation piece
- minor point
- write-up
The History of the Word “Paragraph”
The origins of the word “paragraph” can be dated back to the late fifteenth century in France. It is derived from the Middle French word paragraphe, which refers to the division of text. Further history of the word paragraphe can be traced to the thirteenth century Old French word paragrafe and the Medieval Latin word paragraphus, which referred to a “sign for a start of a new section of text or discourse. The Latin sign for paragraphus looked similar to the letter “P.” There is also the Greek word paragraphos, which is defined as “a short stroke within the margin that marks a break in sense” as well as “a passage so marked.”
Currently, there are no alternative ways of saying the modern word “paragraph.” The only English abbreviations for this word are “par.” and “para.”
When to Use This Abbreviation
This abbreviation is almost always found when writing side notes during a critique, proofreading, or editing process for a document. In many cases for the sake of brevity, “par.” or “para.” are used for editing all manner of documents, including essays and full novels. It would be used to refer to specific notes for a specific paragraph, or in areas where space is a concern.
Outside of document editing, this abbreviation is rarely used. When describing the word “paragraph” verbally or in other forms of text, it is not grammatically correct to abbreviate the word.
18 Examples of Using “Paragraph” and its Abbreviation Correctly
1. “Alex rewrote the paragraph from scratch in order to effectively get the point across in a way that was easier to read.”
2. “Note: Delete Para. 5.”
3. “In the long paragraph he wrote in the letter, he included his email address. Surprisingly, it was a .edu address for a large university on the other side of the country.”
4. “Working as a writer in New York was no easy task– so many others before me penned paragraph upon paragraph to get noticed by editors for the big magazines.”
5. “In the very first paragraph, it was clear that the setting was sometime in the 1700’s. I checked the date of publication on the first page, and was surprised to find the book was published in 1798.”
6. “Note: Omit Par. 1.”
7. “The massive essay was full to the brim with content. I’m talking about photographs, scanned notes, blocks of text, paragraphs, et cetera. It was clear that tonight would be a long one spent looking for that key piece of evidence.”
8. “I read the paragraph back to Sandy, who seemed shocked to hear its contents.”
9. “‘Alright, class!’ said our professor. ‘Open to page seventeen. Who wants to read the first paragraph?'”
10. “Note: Revise Para 2.”
11.”The English language would never cease to amaze me. I found it especially interesting that paragraphs and sentences were written from left to right.”
12. “The first letters I wrote to him in prison were brief ones. A handful of paragraphs per letter, accompanied by photographic evidence that I was working hard on his case.”
13. “‘One of my best friends is a writer!’ Maggie exclaimed. ‘You’d be shocked by how good she is at turning a paragraph into something truly incredible.'”
14. “Note: Rewrite Par. 3 for brevity“
15. “I searched through all of the footnotes, pen marks, post-it notes, and scribbled words. Then, I finally found it. ‘Para. 9 – Change the names of the patients interviewed for privacy.'”
16. “I couldn’t believe my eyes. The paragraph I had been searching for in this massive tome was right there, right before my tired eyes, clear as day.”
17. “Note: Add new Para. between Para. 1 and Para. 2.”
18. “Note: Revise Pars. 7 and 8.”
Sources:
- https://www.dictionary.com/browse/paragraph?s=t
- https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=paragraph
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Alanna Madden
Alanna Madden is a freelance writer and editor from Portland, Oregon. Alanna specializes in data and news reporting and enjoys writing about art, culture, and STEM-related topics. I can be found on Linkedin.
