paragraph

1 of 2

noun

par·​a·​graph ˈper-ə-ˌgraf How to pronounce paragraph (audio)
ˈpa-rə-
1
a
: a subdivision of a written composition that consists of one or more sentences, deals with one point or gives the words of one speaker, and begins on a new usually indented line
The introductory paragraphs were written by the editor.
b
: a short composition or note that is complete in one paragraph
2
: a character (such as ¶) used to indicate the beginning of a paragraph and as a reference mark
paragraphic adjective

paragraph

2 of 2

verb

paragraphed; paragraphing; paragraphs

transitive verb

1
: to write paragraphs about
2
: to divide into paragraphs

intransitive verb

: to write paragraphs

Examples of paragraph in a Sentence

Noun In the second paragraph from the bottom, you've misspelled “their” as “thier.” Please refer to section 2, paragraph 4 for the appropriate information. The two introductory paragraphs were written by the editor.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Even a paragraph – the next one included – wouldn’t do the 74-minute project justice. Jasper Davidoff, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2024 The thread summary can reduce a long back-and-forth conversation to a simple paragraph. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2024 The announcement was buried a few paragraphs into an update about new games coming to Sony’s console platform. Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2024 Summarize these paragraphs and then write a 150-word article about it One of the main reasons someone like me would use a chatbot is to summarize complicated papers. Emilia David, The Verge, 14 Feb. 2024 Spoiler alert This paragraph reveals the Easter eggs’ locations. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024 Why is the first paragraph bolded (and in red type), whereas the second is not? Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2024 This letter, usually sent in the body of an email, could consist of two or three short paragraphs. Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2024 While much of the training involves looking at text sentence by sentence, the attention mechanism also captures relationships between words throughout a longer text sequence of many paragraphs. IEEE Spectrum, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paragraph.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English paragraf marginal sign marking a paragraph, from Anglo-French parogref, from Medieval Latin paragraphus, from Greek paragraphos line used to mark change of persons in a dialogue, from paragraphein to write alongside, from para- + graphein to write — more at carve

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1764, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of paragraph was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near paragraph

Cite this Entry

“Paragraph.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paragraph. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

paragraph

1 of 2 noun
para·​graph
ˈpar-ə-ˌgraf
1
: a part of a writing or speech that develops in an organized manner one point of a subject or gives the words of one speaker
2
: a short written article (as in a newspaper) complete in one section

paragraph

2 of 2 verb
: to divide into or write paragraphs

Legal Definition

paragraph

noun
para·​graph
: a distinct often numbered or otherwise designated section of a document or writing (as a statute or pleading)

More from Merriam-Webster on paragraph

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