View synonyms for et cetera

et cetera

[ et set-er-uh, se-truh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adverb

and others; and so forth; and so on (used to indicate that more of the same sort or class might have been mentioned, but for brevity have been omitted): : etc.
He had dogs, cats, guinea pigs, frogs, et cetera, as pets.

et cetera

/ ɪt ˈsɛtrə /

(no translation)

and the rest; and others; and so forth: used at the end of a list to indicate that other items of the same class or type should be considered or included
or the like; or something else similar

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Usage Note

Et cetera , a Latin phrase, appears in English writing most frequently in its abbreviated form, etc . This phrase is used frequently in technical and business writing, somewhat less frequently in general informal writing, and sometimes in literary or formal writing. Expressions such as and so forth and and so on are useful substitutes. Because “and” is included in the meaning of et cetera , the expression and et cetera is redundant.

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Usage

It is unnecessary to use and before etc as etc ( et cetera ) already means and other things. The repetition of etc, as in he brought paper, ink, notebooks, etc, etc, is avoided except in informal contexts

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Pronunciation Note

Pronunciations with [k] substituted for the first [t]: [ek-, set, -er-, uh], or [ek-, se, -tr, uh], although occasionally used by educated speakers, are usually considered nonstandard.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of et cetera¹

First recorded 1100–50; late Old English, from Latin et cētera, equivalent to et “and” + cētera, accusative neuter plural of cēterus “the rest of, the remainder”

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Word History and Origins

Origin of et cetera¹

from Latin, from et and + cetera the other (things)

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Example Sentences

Ebb and flow, checks and balances, the center would hold, et cetera.

From The Daily Beast

I was a dorky Indo-English kid with a South Asian afro, and he was the all-American type, on the baseball team, et cetera.

From The Daily Beast

Or—the VA crisis, the border crisis, the Middle East crisis, the wage-and-inequality crisis, et cetera—about much of anything.

From The Daily Beast

The intellectuals, students, et cetera, will turn on this government as repressive and undemocratic in the not too distant future.

From The Daily Beast

The uniform response to him is that he has a tin ear, that he is blind to ordinary people, that he is a fool, et cetera.

From The Daily Beast

Not until last week when Morgan started making enquiries as to salaries, et cetera.

From Project Gutenberg

The ammunition—arrows, spears, stone, et cetera—of the garrison was almost spent.

From Project Gutenberg

In the center of the tent stands a temporary board table, on which are kept books, medicines, et cetera.

From Project Gutenberg

This man was also a fisherman, et cetera, and the bosom friend and admirer of Maggot.

From Project Gutenberg

You've a very winning pair of black eyes et cetera, my lady.

From Project Gutenberg

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