&

What Does & Mean?

The Quick Answer

& means "And." The icon & is known as an ampersand. It is widely used in written English and is derived from the Latin word "et," which means "And."

Summary of Key Points

"And" is the definition of &, including on messaging apps like Instagram. Here is some more information about &:

&
Definition:	And
Type:	Icon
Guessability:	1: Easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults, Teenagers, and Under 13s

Image for &

When I write &, I mean this:

& is shorthand for "And."

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Examples of & in Sentences

Here are examples of & in conversations:

• UB40: Baby, come back!
• Pato Banton: With my colour TV & my CD collection of Bob Marley.

• Paul: Is it OK to use & in my letter to the boss?
• Ana: It depends. You generally shouldn't use & except in informal situations. However, sometimes it's OK in things like company names.

An Academic Look at &

The ampersand "&" can be considered an iconic abbreviation. It is a visual representation used as an abbreviation of the word "And."

What Did We Say before Texting and Social Media?

The use of the ampersand "&" as an abbreviation of the word "And" predates the digital era by probably at least 2000 years!

Example of & Used in a Text

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