et seq.
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Et sequentes (and the following) |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Law & Legal, Writing & Everyday |
et seq. has two meanings. It stands for Et sequentes (and the following) (legal citation) or Et sequens (and what follows) (Latin).
Meanings of et seq. at a glance
| # | et seq. stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Et sequentes (and the following) | Law & Legal › Legal Citation |
| 2 | Et sequens (and what follows) | Writing & Everyday › Latin |
1. Et sequentes (and the following)
Law & Legal · Legal Citation Abbreviations
Signals that a citation refers to a section and those that follow it, typically to cite an entire statute or chapter, as in "42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq." for Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is common in complaints, contracts and agency documents.
Example: Plaintiff's claims arise under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq.
From Latin "et sequentes" or "et sequentia", "and the following ones". The Bluebook discourages it, preferring exact sections or a range such as "29 U.S.C. §§ 201–219", but it remains widespread in pleadings. Only "seq." takes a period, because "et" is a complete Latin word.
2. Et sequens (and what follows)
Writing & Everyday · Latin Abbreviations
Indicates that a reference covers the cited page, section or statute together with those after it. It is common in legal codes and older scholarship, where it avoids giving an exact end point.
Example: Federal trademark law is codified at 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq., the statute better known as the Lanham Act.
The plural et seqq. (et sequentia) is sometimes used when many pages follow, though most writers treat et seq. as covering any number. Academic styles now prefer exact page ranges or ff. In US legal writing it routinely follows the first section of a multi-section act. Only "seq." takes a period, since "et" is a full word.
Related abbreviations
More legal citation abbreviations
- Cnty. – County
- Comm'n – Commission
- Comm'r – Commissioner
- Cong. Rec. – Congressional Record
- F. – Federal Reporter
- F. App'x – Federal Appendix
- F. Cas. – Federal Cases
- F. Supp. – Federal Supplement
See all 87 legal citation abbreviations →
More Latin abbreviations
- D.V. – Deo volente (God willing)
- del. – Delineavit (drew it)
- e.g. – Exempli gratia (for example)
- et al. – Et alii (and others)
- etc. – Et cetera (and the rest)
- ex lib. – Ex libris (from the books of)
- F.D. – Fidei defensor (Defender of the Faith)
- fec. – Fecit (made it)
See all 53 Latin abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.