paragraph
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a group of sentences that starts on a new line and usually talks about one main idea.
n.a distinct section of a written text, typically beginning on a new line and containing a single theme or point.
Simple“Your essay is good, but you should start a new paragraph for each new idea.”
In context“The author uses a single-sentence paragraph to create a dramatic pause before revealing the protagonist's true motivations.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a very short news story or announcement in a newspaper.
n.a brief article, notice, or announcement, typically appearing as a short item in a periodical.
Simple“There was a small paragraph in the local paper about the bake sale.”
In context“The editor inserted a brief paragraph on the third page to acknowledge the correction of the previous week's error.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a small unit of computer memory equal to 16 bytes.
n.a unit of memory equal to 16 bytes, specifically within x86 real-mode memory segmentation.
Simple“In older computer systems, memory was often managed in paragraphs.”
In context“The programmer had to ensure that the segment register was aligned with a 16-byte paragraph boundary to avoid memory access errors.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to divide a long piece of writing into paragraphs.
v.to divide or arrange text into distinct paragraphs. Transitive — takes a direct object.
Simple“You need to paragraph your work better so it is easier to read.”
In context“The editor spent the afternoon paragraphing the dense manuscript to improve its overall flow and readability for a general audience.”
Usage closely paragraph · following paragraph · previous paragraph
From Middle English paragraf, from Middle French paragraphe from Latin paragraphus (“sign for start of a new section of discourse”), from Ancient Greek παράγραφος (parágraphos), from παρά (pará, “beside”) and γράφω (gráphō, “to write”). Doublet of paragraphos.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.