Et Al: Meaning and How to Use the Latin Phrase

“Et al.” is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase “et alia” which translates to “and others” in the English language. This phrase indicates that the author is paraphrasing a reference list that contains at least two additional names that have not been listed.

Scholars often use “et al.” in academic writing and journal articles to shorten a long list of multiple authors that collaborated on one work. For example, if a paper has multiple authors but only lists the name of the first author, the abbreviation “et al.” may follow the name to indicate that there are other unlisted authors.

“Et al.” primarily appears in text citations to indicate that there are other names not listed. However, you still want to make sure that the additional authors receive credit for their contribution to the work cited at least once, rather than having them get lost in an abbreviation. Here are some rules to follow when you’re using “et al.,” whether you’re using it in an in-text or parenthetical citation.

1. 1. Follow with a period. Because “et al.” is an abbreviation for the phrase “et alia,” the “al” should always be followed by a period.
2. 2. Mind the italics. “Et al.” is widely used in English, so it does not always have to be italicized. However, because it is abbreviated from Latin, some publication manuals or specific style guides require it to be italicized. When in doubt, it’s always best to check.
3. 3. Include all authors’ names in the first citation for three to five people. The phrase “et alia” is in plural form, meaning “and others.” This means that two or more names qualify for the usage of “et al.” When you’re citing a work with three to five authors, list all of their names in the first mention of the text. Each additional mention will just need the first author’s name, followed by “et al.”
4. 4. For six or more authors, list the first author’s name followed by “et al.” If you’re citing a work that was written by a number of authors that is higher than six, you don’t need to list all of the authors’ names. You can just state the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.” for all mentions.

Whether you’re writing an academic paper or simply referring to more than one person, it can be helpful to know how exactly to use “et al.” in a sentence. Here are a few examples of how to use “et al.”

• Academic context: If you’re using “et al.” to cite three to five authors of a specific text in an academic context, list all of their names at first. For example, the first reference may say “Briggs, Simon, McArthur and Wong’s text is a seminal one.” In subsequent citations, the list referencing a prior citation can be shortened to “Briggs, et al.”
• Casual context: Sometimes “et al.” is used more casually in a sentence when listing people. For example, you could say: “Many renowned authors have shared their expertise on MasterClass, including Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, et al.”

“Etc.” and “et alibi” are sometimes confused with “et al.,” but they mean different things and have different usages. Here is a quick breakdown of how the three differ from one another.

• Et al.: The use of “et al.” in a text means “et alia.” It means “and others” in a shortened list of peoples’ names.
• Etc.: This is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase “et cetera,” which means "and the rest.” “Etc.” is used at the end of a list of things, rather than people. In this way, “etc.” and “et al.” function in a similar way, but the former applies to things and the latter applies to people.
• Et Alibi: Occasionally, “et al.” can stand for “et alibi,” which means “and elsewhere.” “Et alibi” is used in an incomplete list of places or locations. Although the Latin words are different, you can still use the abbreviation “et al.” in both instances.

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