“And etc” or “etc”: which is correct?
etc
The short answer
The correct usage is simply “etc.” without and before it, as “etc.” already serves to indicate additional similar items.
Redundancy error
Why people get it wrong
People often use “and etc.” thinking it emphasizes the list’s continuation, similar to saying and so forth. However, the word etc is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase et cetera, which means and other things. Therefore, and etc translates to and and other things, which is repetitive and incorrect.
Examples with etc
- We need to buy fruits like apples, oranges, etc.
- Various colors are available such as red, blue, green, etc.
- You can study languages such as English, French, Spanish, etc.
Quick check
We need to buy fruits like apples, oranges, .
The correct usage is simply “etc.” without and before it, as “etc.” already serves to indicate additional similar items.
Spotted a mistake in this article? Tell us