English Reference
Word noun

apostrophe

n.
US /əˈpɑstɹəˌfi/ UK /ɐpˈɒstɹəfi/ apos·tro·phe UK spelling apostrophes
Definition
  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    the mark (') used to show where letters are left out in a word, or to show that something belongs to a person.

    the typographic character used to indicate the omission of one or more letters or to mark the possessive case.

    Simple

    “You need an apostrophe in the word 'don't' to show the missing 'o'.”

    In context

    “The editor noted that the author frequently misplaced the apostrophe in plural possessive nouns, leading to significant clarity issues throughout the manuscript.”

    Pitfall
    The dog wagged it's tail. The dog wagged its tail.

    Do not use an apostrophe for the possessive 'its'; the form 'it's' is only for 'it is' or 'it has'.

  2. 02 C2 Proficiency FormalTechnical Literary

    a speech or poem where the speaker talks to someone who is dead, absent, or not human.

    a rhetorical figure in which the speaker addresses a dead or absent person, an abstraction, or an inanimate object.

    Simple

    “The poet uses apostrophe when he speaks directly to the wind in the first stanza.”

    In context

    “Milton’s use of apostrophe in his sonnets often serves to elevate the emotional register by addressing personified virtues as if they were present deities.”

    Synonyms
    addressinvocation
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a specific way that green parts inside a plant cell are arranged.

    an arrangement of chloroplasts along the side walls of plant cells, perpendicular to the surface, typically occurring under high light intensity.

    Simple

    “The scientist observed the apostrophe of the chlorophyll grains under the microscope.”

    In context

    “Under intense solar radiation, the chloroplasts moved into a position of apostrophe to protect the cell from photo-oxidative damage.”

    Antonyms
    epistrophe
Etymology
Etymology 1

From French apostrophe, or Latin apostrophus, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστροφος (apóstrophos, “accent of elision”), a noun use of an adjective from ἀποστρέφω (apostréphō, “I turn away”), from ἀπό (apó, “away from”) + στρέφω (stréphō, “to turn”).

Etymology 2

From Latin apostrophe, from Ancient Greek ἀποστροφή (apostrophḗ), from ἀποστρέφω (apostréphō, “I turn away”), from ἀπό (apó) + στρέφω (stréphō, “I turn”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Ancient Greek ἀπόστροφος
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Occasional
Updated