The abbreviation ''viz.'' (or ''viz'' without a full stop) is short for the Latin , which itself is a contraction of the Latin phrase ''videre licet'', meaning "it is permitted to see". It is used as a synonym for "namely", "that is to say", "to wit", "which is", or "as follows". It is typically used to introduce examples or further details to illustrate a point. For example: "all types of data viz. text, audio, video, pictures, graphics, can be transmitted through networking".

Etymology

''Viz.'' is shorthand for the adverb '. It uses

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Usage

In contradistinction to '' i.e.'' and '' e.g.'', ''viz.'' is used to indicate a detailed description of something stated before, and when it precedes a list of group members, it implies (near) completeness. * ''Viz.'' is usually read aloud as "that is", "namely", or "to wit",''

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (''AHD'') is an American English, American dictionary of English published by Boston publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Houghton Mifflin, the first edition of which appeared in 1969. ...

'' (fourth edition, 2000), p. 1917. but is sometimes pronounced as it is spelled, viz.: . * ''Videlicet'' is pronounced or in English-speaking countries.

Examples

* The main point of his speech, ''viz.'' that our attitude was in fact harmful, was not understood. * "My grandfather had four sons who grew up, viz.: Thomas, John, Benjamin and Josiah." * The noble gases, viz. helium, neon, argon, xenon, krypton, and radon, show an unexpected behaviour when exposed to this new element.

Compared with ''scilicet''

A similar expression is , from earlier , abbreviated as ''sc.'', which is Latin for "it is permitted to know." ''Sc.'' provides a parenthetic clarification, removes an ambiguity, or supplies a word omitted in preceding text, while ''viz.'' is usually used to elaborate or detail text which precedes it. In legal usage, ''

Scilicet The abbreviation ''viz.'' (or ''viz'' without a full stop) is short for the Latin , which itself is a contraction of the Latin phrase ''videre licet'', meaning "it is permitted to see". It is used as a synonym for "namely", "that is to say", "to ...

'' appears abbreviated as ''ss.'' It can also appear as a

section sign The section sign, §, is a typographical character for referencing individually numbered sections of a document; it is frequently used when citing sections of a legal code. It is also known as the section symbol, section mark, double-s, or si ...

(§) in a caption, where it is used to provide a statement of venue, that is to say a location where an action is to take place. ''Scilicet'' can be read as "namely," "to wit," or "that is to say," or pronounced in English-speaking countries, or also anglicized as .''

'' (fourth edition, 2000), p. 1560.

Notes

References