Et al.

Latin abbreviation meaning "and others." Used in citations when a source has multiple authors to shorten the in-text citation after the first mention.

Why it matters

Et al. keeps multi-author citations concise and readable. Without it, citing a paper with ten authors would create an unwieldy parenthetical that disrupts the flow of your writing. Knowing when and how to use et al. is essential for correctly formatting in-text citations in every major citation style.

How to use

In APA 7th edition, use et al. for works with three or more authors from the very first citation: (Smith et al., 2024). In MLA, use et al. for works with three or more authors: (Smith et al. 42). Note that "et al." always has a period after "al" because it is an abbreviation of "alia" (or "alii"), but there is no period after "et" because it is a complete Latin word.

In academic writing

Et al. appears in virtually every academic paper that cites collaborative research, which is increasingly the norm in science, social science, and medical fields. The rules for when to begin using et al. changed significantly in APA 7th edition (2019), which now uses it from the first citation for three or more authors, unlike APA 6th edition which had different thresholds.