Et Cetera

ETC Full Form in English, letter by letter

ETC is short for the Latin et cetera, meaning 'and the rest' or 'and so on', used to show a list could continue.

ETC Full Form in Indian Languages

You have written it a thousand times, sometimes right as etc. and sometimes as 'excetra'. ETC is short for the Latin et cetera, 'and the rest'.

What et cetera means

Et cetera is Latin. Et means 'and' and cetera means 'the rest'. The phrase signals that a list goes on with more items of the same kind that the writer has chosen not to write out. English has used it for centuries.

It is an abbreviation of a Latin phrase rather than a modern acronym, and it is written with a full stop: etc. The old symbol &c. is a variant of the same phrase, built from the ampersand, which itself developed from the Latin word et.

How to say it, and what not to write

The classical pronunciation is 'et KET-er-ah'. Most English speakers say 'ek-SET-er-ah', and dictionaries record that too. Neither is a mistake you need to apologise for.

The spelling to drop is 'excetra', which exists only because of the second pronunciation. Also drop 'and etc.', because et already means and, so you would be writing 'and and the rest'. Many style guides also object to 'including ... etc.', since 'including' already suggests that the list is partial.

Notice also the spelling of the Latin: et cetera is two words, and 'etcetera' as one word is accepted in some dictionaries, but the abbreviation etc. is the form used in running text.

Where etc. is fine and where it is not

Use it in informal lists, notes and casual writing: 'bring pens, pencils, a calculator, etc. to the exam hall'. In formal prose, complete the list or write 'and others'. Avoid it after 'such as' or 'for example', because those phrases already make the list open-ended.

Put a comma before etc. when it closes a list of three or more items, as in 'rice, dal, roti, etc.'. In a sentence, put the full stop of etc. before the sentence ends and do not add a second one.

Legal and official drafting tends to spell out 'and other such items' instead of etc., because vagueness inside a rule can lead to disputes. A tender notice or circular that ends a list in etc. is giving examples, not a full list, so check with the issuing office whether something else is covered.

The family of Latin abbreviations

English kept a small group of Latin abbreviations. E.g. is exempli gratia, 'for example'. I.e. is id est, 'that is'. Et al. is et alia, 'and others', used for people, as in a list of authors. Viz. means 'namely', and ibid. means 'in the same place'.

The confusion that trips people up most is etc. versus e.g. versus i.e. Use e.g. to introduce examples, i.e. to restate something more clearly, and etc. only to close a list of items of the same kind. Compare 'fruits, e.g. mango and banana' with 'fruits, i.e. things that grow from flowers'. Many writers now prefer the plain English phrases in formal writing.

A quick test: if you can replace etc. with 'and so on' without changing the sense, it is probably correct. If you cannot say what kind of items the missing ones are, the list needs finishing instead.

Another small point: when etc. ends a sentence, it needs no second full stop. 'We need paper, pens, files, etc.' already ends with the full stop of the abbreviation, and adding another is an error.

etc. in exams and elsewhere

Abbreviation and error-spotting questions in SSC and bank English sections sometimes test the expansion or the use of etc. and e.g. The real skill is wider: when a syllabus, contract or notice ends a list with etc., you should understand that the writer has left things out.

One computing trap: /etc is the Linux directory that holds system configuration files, and it has no link with the Latin phrase. In road transport ETC can also mean electronic toll collection. In ordinary writing, the Latin meaning is the one intended.

Etc. is a small word worth using carefully. Write it with its full stop, leave it out after 'such as', and drop 'excetra' and 'and etc.' for good.

ETC Full Form: Common Questions