(in a piece of writing) one of a series of subsections each usually devoted to one idea and each usually marked by the beginning of a new line, indentation, increased interlinear space, etc
2. printing
the character ¶, used as a reference mark or to indicate the beginning of a new paragraph
3.
a short article in a newspaper
verb(transitive)
4.
to form into paragraphs
5.
to express or report in a paragraph
Derived forms
paragraphic (ˌpærəˈɡræfɪk) or paragraphical (ˌparaˈgraphical)
adjective
paragraphically (ˌparaˈgraphically)
adverb
Word origin
C16: from Medieval Latin paragraphus, from Greek paragraphos line drawing attention to part of a text, from paragraphein to write beside, from para-1 + graphein to write
paragraph mark in American English
noun
the character ¶, used in editing and printing to indicate the beginning of a new paragraph; pilcrow
Also called: paragraph sign
Word origin
[1850–55]This word is first recorded in the period 1850–55. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: clear-cut, cloakroom, ethylene, heavyweight, segue