Continued Abbreviation—Contd or Cont’d?

What’s the correct abbreviation for continued? Is it cont. or cont’d.? Is there an official abbreviation for the term? What’s the correct way to write the abbreviation for continued?

Keep reading to find out and avoid errors when writing in the American English language.

What does contd. or cont’d mean in writing?

“Contd” and “Cont’d” simply mean continued. This indicates to the reader that the information they are looking for is further down the page.

What’s an abbreviation, anyway?

An abbreviation, similar to a contraction, means to shorten a word or phrase by taking the first letters of the phrase to form the abbreviation. For example, “Illinois State University.” Or “ISU.” Official abbreviations can be found in every dictionary (Webster’s, Oxford, and more).

What’s a contraction?

A contraction is a word or phrase that has been shortened by dropping one or more of the letters in the word.

Which is it: Cont. or Cont’d.?

Well, according to the Chicago Manual of Style, the official abbreviation for continued in American English is “cont.” with a period at the end.

The Oxford English Dictionary agrees with the Chicago Manual in this sense and writes the abbreviation for continued as contd.

Cont’d. is also accepted for continued. Some writers employ this shortened version over the other, though it’s less commonly used. Though cont’d. is less common than the standard contd., it is not incorrect, per se.

Both short forms are correct and communicate the same idea. That said, it’s necessary to pay attention to the context in which the abbreviation (or contraction) is used.

Answer:

Both contd. and cont’d. are accepted.

As mentioned above, both are accepted shortened versions for continued. That said, contd. without the apostrophe is more common than the contraction, cont’d.

Cont’d. is a contraction and shortened form of the word continued. Cont’d. is therefore not an abbreviation of the word continued, but rather a shortened version.

Contractions are used to make writing quicker and more efficient; they work by omitting letters from the whole word by using apostrophes. The following words are all examples of contractions:

• aren’t → are not.
• there’s → there is; there has.
• can’t → can not.
• they’d → they had; they would.
• couldn’t → could not.
• they’ll → they will; they shall.
• didn’t → did not.
• they’re → they are.
• don’t → do not.
• wouldn’t → would not.
• what’ve → what have
• would’ve → would have
• she’ll → she will
• he’ll → he will
• you’ll → you will
• you’ve → you have

Contraction and Truncation: What’s the difference?

Contractions are a shortened form of a word. Contractions “contract,” and they make words smaller by omitting the middle letters to shorten the word.

Truncations are a subtype of abbreviation that uses a short form to represent the whole word.

Examples of truncations include:

• App → application
• Mon. → Monday
• Fri. → Friday
• Oct. → October
• Apr. → April

When and where to use contd. or cont’d in writing?

In formal writing, such as business writing, legal documents, essay writing or general academic writing, use the correct abbreviation contd.

For informal writing, the contracted version cont’d. is acceptable to use; though remember that the officially recognized abbreviation for the word is contd.

Cont’d. is commonly used in screenplays to signify that the character’s speech continues, or the text continues on the next page. Cont’d. can also be used in less formal writing, like journalistic writing.

For either context, the continued abbreviation is placed at the bottom of the page to signify to the reader that text continues on the next page.

How to write “continued on the next page”

A way to indicate that something is going to be on the next page is to say, “Continued on Page 2.” Or “Contd Page 2.” Typically, this is used when there are multiple pages encompassing an essay, screenplay, or piece of writing that’s greater than one page.

Synonyms for continued:

• Go on
• Progress
• Extends
• Endure
• Carry forward
• Carry onwards
• Maintain
• Sustain
• Push on

Antonyms for continued

• Discontinue
• Cease
• Stop
• End
• Finish
• Retreat
• Quit
• Halt
• Brake

The origin of the word “continued”

The root word for continued comes from the Latin word continuare, meaning to “extend/prolong/draw out/last/renew,” or “bridge,”

Lesson in review

There is more than one way to shorten continued; contd. and cont’d. are both accepted abbreviations for continued. Remember always to include a period for contd. and cont’d.!

Contd. is more formal than its alternative; cont’d, which can be used for less formal writing matters.

Glossary

Definition of contraction: dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/contraction

Definition of truncation: dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/truncation

The etymology of the word continue: latin-dictionary.net/search/latin/Continuare

Sources

1. What Are Contractions in English Grammar? – ThoughtCo
2. What Does CONT’D Mean in a Screenplay & How to Use It
3. Latdict: Latin Dictionary and Grammar Resources
4. Cambridge English Dictionary: Meanings & Definitions
5. The Chicago Manual of Style Online