punctuate

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈpʌŋktʃuˌeɪt/ UK /ˈpʌŋktʃueɪt/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to insert punctuation marks, or to interrupt at intervals

Loud cheers punctuated the speaker's every remark.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to insert punctuation... interrupt intersperse break accentuate emphasize pepper

Word family

Derived forms punctuatedpunctuationpunctuator

Related forms point punctual punctilious puncture

Etymology

From Medieval Latin punctuatus, past participle of punctuare ('to mark with points'), from Latin punctum ('a point'), from pungere ('to prick').

punctuare Latin punctum Latin *peuǵ- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# punctuate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈpʌŋktʃuˌeɪt/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpʌŋktʃueɪt/

## Meanings
1. to insert punctuation marks, or to interrupt at intervals

## Examples
- Loud cheers punctuated the speaker's every remark.

## Synonyms
- interrupt
- intersperse
- break
- accentuate
- emphasize
- pepper

## Derived Forms
- punctuated
- punctuation
- punctuator

## Related Forms
- point
- punctual
- punctilious
- puncture

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: punctuare
- Root: punctum
- Root: *peuǵ-

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin punctuatus, past participle of punctuare ('to mark with points'), from Latin punctum ('a point'), from pungere ('to prick').

## AI Etymology
Punctuate is from Medieval Latin punctuatus, past participle of punctuare ('to mark with points'), from Latin punctum ('a point'), from pungere ('to prick'). Important recorded forms include punctuare (Latin), punctum (Latin), and *peuǵ- (Proto-Indo-European). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers to insert punctuation marks, or to interrupt at intervals. The wider family includes derived forms such as punctuated, punctuation, and punctuator and related words such as point, punctual, punctilious, and puncture.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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