Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

punctuate

/ˈpʰʌŋktjuːeɪt/ verb

Latin root: pūnctuātus Wiktionary

verb Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about punctuate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Insert punctuation marks into.
To stress, single out as important.
Dr. Jones emphasizes exercise in addition to a change in diet
Interrupt periodically.
Her sharp questions punctuated the speaker's drone

Origin

Borrowed from Medieval Latin pūnctuātus, perfect passive participle of pūnctuō (“to mark with points”), from Medieval Latin pūnctus (“a point, dot”), from pungō (“to prick, punch”); see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of punch.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word