Et Al. Meaning: What It Means and How to Use It Correctly

"Et al." is one of the most commonly used abbreviations in academic writing, yet many writers are unsure exactly what it means, when to use it, and how to format it correctly. This guide explains the meaning of the abbreviation, when to apply it in your citations, and how the rules differ across APA, MLA, and Chicago style. For a deeper walkthrough of the citation mechanics in each style, see our companion guide on how to use et al. in citations.

Quick Answer: What Does Et Al. Mean?

Meaning. "Et al." is a Latin abbreviation for et alii, et aliae, or et alia, all of which translate to "and others."

When to use it. In citations of academic sources with multiple authors, to avoid listing every author each time the source is cited.

How to format it. Period after "al." only. No italics. No comma between the abbreviation and the year in APA parenthetical citations: (Anong et al., 2022).

The threshold for using it. APA 7th edition: 3 or more authors, from the first citation. MLA 9th edition: 3 or more authors, in-text and Works Cited. Chicago: 4 or more authors in-text.

What Does Et Al. Mean?

"Et al." is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase et alii (masculine), et aliae (feminine), or et alia (neuter). All three translate to "and others" in English. In academic and scholarly writing, the abbreviation appears in citations, reference lists, and bibliographies to represent multiple authors without listing every contributor individually.

The phrase is most commonly used when a source has three or more authors. Rather than repeating a long list of names every time you cite a source, the abbreviation lets you acknowledge all contributors efficiently while keeping your text readable.

For example, imagine a study co-authored by four Ohio State University researchers: Anong, Johnson, Anderson, and Brown. Listing all four names every time you reference their work would clutter your text quickly. Using the abbreviated form solves that problem cleanly.

When to Use Et Al. Across Citation Styles

The threshold for using et al. and the rules for in-text citations versus reference lists differ across the major style guides. The table below summarizes the rules at a glance.

Citation style	In-text citation threshold	Reference list rule	From which citation?
APA 7th edition	3 or more authors	Don't use et al. List up to 20 authors. For 21+, list 19, ellipsis, then final author	From the first citation
APA 6th edition (older)	3 to 5 authors	Don't use et al.	After the first citation; 6+ authors use et al. from the start
MLA 9th edition	3 or more authors	Use et al. in Works Cited entries	From the first citation
Chicago author-date	4 or more authors	Generally list all authors; 10+ may use et al.	From the first citation
Chicago notes-bibliography	4 or more authors in footnotes	List all authors in bibliography for sources with up to 10 authors	From the first note

For style-by-style examples and the citation mechanics specific to each style, see our companion guide on how to use et al. in APA, MLA, and Chicago citations.

Et Al. in a Sentence: Basic Examples

Before getting into formatting rules, here is what correct usage looks like in practice. The examples below use a 2022 study by Ohio State researchers Anong, Johnson, Anderson, and Brown.

Narrative citation (author as part of the sentence):

Anong et al. (2022) found a significant relationship between financial literacy and household savings behavior.

Parenthetical citation (author in parentheses):

Financial literacy was found to be a significant predictor of household savings behavior (Anong et al., 2022).

In both cases, only the first author's last name appears, followed by the abbreviation and the year. The remaining three co-authors are understood to be included in "et al."

Et Al. Formatting Rules

Regardless of which citation style you're using, several formatting rules apply consistently.

Period after "al." only. "Al" is an abbreviation, so it always takes a period. "Et" is a complete Latin word and never takes a period after it. The correct form is always "et al." not "et. al." or "et al" without the period.
No italics. Current editions of APA, MLA, and Chicago do not require italics. The exception is when you're discussing "et al." as a term itself, the way this article does.
No comma between the abbreviation and the year in APA parenthetical citations. The correct form is (Anong et al., 2022). The comma follows "et al.," it doesn't precede it.
Distinguish ambiguous citations by adding more names. If two sources shorten to the same abbreviated form in the same year, add enough additional author names to tell them apart, for example (Anong, Johnson, Anderson, et al., 2022) versus (Anong, Johnson, Williams, et al., 2022).
Don't use et al. for two-author sources. Two-author works always list both names in full, regardless of how many times you cite them.
Don't use et al. for organizational authors. The abbreviation is for human authors and editors. Government agencies, university presses, and other institutional authors are listed in full.

Common Et Al. Mistakes to Avoid

Even experienced academic writers make formatting errors with multi-author citations. The most common mistakes:

Writing "et. al." with a period after "et." "Et" is a complete word, not an abbreviation. The period belongs after "al." only.
Writing "et al" without a period. "Al." is always abbreviated with a period. Omitting it is a common proofreading miss.
Italicizing the abbreviation. Current editions of APA, MLA, and Chicago do not require italics in citations.
Using et al. for two-author sources. Two-author works always list both names, regardless of how many times you cite them.
Forgetting to distinguish ambiguous citations. If two sources by the same first author in the same year would produce identical abbreviated citations, you must add additional author names to differentiate them.
Applying APA 6th edition rules to a 7th edition paper. APA 7th edition simplified the rules. For three or more authors, use et al. from the first citation onward, not after the first mention as the 6th edition required.
Using et al. in an APA reference list. APA reserves et al. for in-text citations only. The reference list must include all author names up to 20.

When Not to Use Et Al.

The abbreviation is used for multi-author sources in citations. It is not used in several specific situations.

Two-author sources. Always list both author names in full.
Organizational or institutional authors. Government agencies, university presses, and similar institutional authors are listed in full, even when multiple organizations are credited.
APA reference lists for sources with 20 or fewer authors. Every author must be listed individually in the reference entry, even if you used et al. in every in-text citation.
MLA narrative citations (per the MLA Style Center). When the author names appear in your sentence rather than in parentheses, MLA recommends an English equivalent like "and colleagues" instead of "et al."

Some journals don't require a specific citation style but ask only that reference formatting be applied consistently throughout the manuscript. The Journal of Economic Psychology, for example, states that references can be in any style or format as long as the style is consistent throughout.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does et al. mean?

Et al. is a Latin abbreviation meaning "and others." It comes from the Latin phrases et alii (masculine), et aliae (feminine), or et alia (neuter), all of which translate to "and others" in English. In academic writing, the abbreviation is used in citations to represent multiple authors of a source without listing every contributor by name.

How is et al. pronounced?

Et al. is pronounced "et all" or "et alia," with both pronunciations widely accepted in academic settings. Many academics simply read the abbreviation as the words it stands for in their language. There's no single required pronunciation, and writers don't need to worry about pronunciation since the abbreviation appears almost exclusively in written citations rather than in spoken academic prose.

Should et al. be italicized?

No. Current editions of APA, MLA, and Chicago do not require italics for et al. in citations. The exception is when the abbreviation is being discussed as a term itself rather than used in a citation. Older publications sometimes italicized et al., but in modern academic writing it appears in regular roman type.

Where does the period go in et al.?

The period belongs after "al." only. "Et" is a complete Latin word for "and" and never takes a period. "Al." is the abbreviated form of alii, aliae, or alia, so it always takes a period. The correct form is always "et al." Common errors include "et. al." (incorrect period after et) and "et al" (missing period after al).

How many authors before you use et al.?

The threshold depends on the citation style. APA 7th edition uses et al. for three or more authors from the first citation. MLA 9th edition also uses et al. for three or more authors in both in-text citations and the Works Cited list. Chicago style uses et al. for four or more authors in-text. Two-author sources always list both names regardless of style.

Can et al. be used for two authors?

No. Et al. is plural, meaning "and others," and replaces at least two additional author names. A two-author source must list both authors by name in every citation, regardless of which style guide is being followed. Using et al. for a two-author source is one of the most common citation errors.

Is et al. used in APA reference lists?

No, with one exception. APA 7th edition reserves et al. for in-text citations only. The reference list must include every author up to 20. For sources with 21 or more authors, list the first 19 authors, insert an ellipsis, and then add the final author's name. The abbreviation et al. doesn't appear in standard APA reference list entries.

Is et al. used in MLA Works Cited entries?

Yes. MLA 9th edition uses et al. in both in-text citations and the Works Cited list when a source has three or more authors. The Works Cited entry begins with the first author's name (last name first), followed by "et al." This is a key difference from APA, which requires all author names in the reference list.

What if two citations have the same first author and year?

When two sources would shorten to the same et al. citation in the same year, add enough additional author names to distinguish them. For example, a 2022 paper by Anong, Johnson, and Anderson and a 2022 paper by Anong, Johnson, and Williams should appear as (Anong, Johnson, Anderson, et al., 2022) and (Anong, Johnson, Williams, et al., 2022) rather than as identical (Anong et al., 2022) citations that would confuse the reader.

Can et al. replace just one author?

No. Et al. is plural and replaces at least two additional author names. If using et al. would only replace a single author's name, write that author's name out instead. The abbreviation is meant to condense longer author lists, not to omit a single co-author.

When to Get Help with Academic Citations

Citation errors are among the most common problems caught during academic editing. Inconsistent use of et al., missing reference list entries, and mismatched in-text and bibliography citations can delay journal submissions and trigger desk rejections. The detail work matters most for theses, dissertations, and manuscripts heading to peer review, where reviewers and committee members notice citation inconsistency immediately.

Editor World provides professional academic editing for students, graduate researchers, and faculty, including thorough review of citation formatting and consistency across APA, MLA, Chicago, and other major style guides. Every editor is a native English speaker with an advanced degree in their field, and every document is reviewed by a real person, never by AI. To see who would be working on your document, you can choose your own editor from the Editor World roster, or request a free sample edit of up to 300 words before committing to a full edit.

This article was reviewed by the Editor World academic team. Editor World, founded in 2010 by Patti Fisher, PhD, provides professional editing and proofreading services for students, academics, and researchers worldwide.