Et al. is an abbreviation that means “and others.” It is commonly used in biographies for listing authors to shorten an otherwise long list of contributors. The easiest way to remember et al. is it is like etc. but for people.
Using Et Al.
When you use et al. you need to use a full stop to show it is an abbreviation. You do not need to put it in italics when using it in a list.
Different academic referencing styles may have different rules for using et al., but in general, these are the rules:
- Only use et al. for sources with more than two authors
- If there are five or fewer authors, then list all of their names the first time you cite it and then use et al. for subsequent citations
- If there are six or more authors, then use et al. in all of the citations
What Is the Difference Between Et Al. And Etc.?
Etc. is used to list things, but et al. is used to list people. Both can be used in writing and speech, though et al. is more common in citations and academic writing.
Both et al. and etc. are abbreviations of Latin words.
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- is an abbreviation of et cetera, which means and the rest
- Et al. is an abbreviation of et alia, which means and others