# MLA

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mla
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a politician

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · British English

Stands for Member of the Legislative Assembly. This is a person elected to represent their local area in a regional government, common in Canada, India, and Northern Ireland.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Member of the Legislative Assembly. A title used for an elected representative in subnational or regional legislatures in various Commonwealth jurisdictions.

- The local MLA promised to improve the roads in our district before the next election.
- The MLA for Belfast South addressed the assembly regarding the proposed changes to regional healthcare funding.

Usage: Used as a title before a name or as a post-nominal letters (e.g., John Smith, MLA).

### 2. academic writing style

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · American English

Stands for Modern Language Association. It is a set of rules for how to format essays and list your sources, mostly used in literature and language studies.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Modern Language Association. Refers specifically to the MLA Style Manual used for formatting manuscripts and citing sources in the humanities.

- My professor asked us to write our final essay using MLA format.
- The student struggled to correctly format the bibliography according to the latest MLA guidelines for digital sources.

Usage: Usually functions as an attributive noun before 'style', 'format', or 'handbook'.

### 3. university degree

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

Stands for Master of Landscape Architecture. It is an advanced university degree for people who design outdoor spaces like parks and gardens.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Master of Landscape Architecture. A professional postgraduate degree focusing on the design and planning of outdoor environments.

- After finishing her MLA, she started working for a firm that designs city parks.
- Candidates for the senior designer position are required to hold an MLA from an accredited institution.

## Examples

- I need to format my essay according to MLA style.
- The professor requested that all literature reviews follow the latest MLA guidelines for parenthetical citations and bibliography formatting.
- While historians typically prefer the Chicago Manual of Style for its footnote system, scholars in the humanities generally adopt MLA standards to maintain consistency across peer-reviewed journals.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.