“Among Others” is a phrase some people use without knowing exactly what it means. They want to sound polished and neat but end up making grammatical mistakes that could be avoided with a little information.
We want to know what “Among Others” mean and the appropriate ways to use it.
What Does “Among Others” Mean?
“Among Others” means that there are several more people like the ones you mentioned in your sentence, but you don’t intend to mention them all. It should be used when the names you mentioned are just a small part of a much larger group and that needs to be stated.
Take a look at the examples:
- Tessa and Nathan were at the party, among others.
- Among others, the brands represented in the convention included Nike and Adidas.
Regardless of where “Among Others” appears in the sentence, it always indicates the same thing – which is that the names you’re mentioning or items you’re listing are part of a larger group.
You may not want to list the whole group or it may be too big to be listed. Either way, you can decide where the expression “Among Others” will work better in the sentence you’re constructing.
Just never lose sight of the purpose of the phrase “Among Others”, which is to make it clear that there is a larger group of things similar to the ones you mentioned, that you don’t wish to name individually.
Comma Before “Among Others” at the End of a Sentence?
Usually, when placing the phrase “Among Others” at the end of a sentence, people add a comma to separate the last-mentioned item from the expression. It’s not mandatory, and many texts don’t do it. However, it can help make your sentence clear, positively affecting the flow of your text.
Take a look at the examples below, that show sentences with and without a comma before “Among Others”:
- Her favorite bands were Metallica and Bon Jovi, among others.
- Her favorite bands were Metallica and Bon Jovi among others.
- The reading list includes Shakespeare and Milton, among others.
- The reading list includes Shakespeare and Milton among others.
- His favorite artists were Picasso and Monet, among others.
- His favorite artists were Picasso and Monet among others.
As you can see by the examples, the sentences are correct with or without a comma before “Among Others”. It’s up to you if you wish to use a comma or not. However, we recommend that you add one because commas help your text flow better and you should use it in your favor.
How to Use “Among Others” in a Sentence
“Among Others” can be used in a sentence every time you need to make it clear that the items you’re listing are part of a larger group that you don’t intend to mention in its entirety.
You can add “Among Other” to the beginning, the middle, or the end of any sentence.
It’s up to you to find out what would be the best location for the phrase “Among Others” in the sentence you’re constructing.
Take a look at some helpful examples, that show “Among Others” being used in many different ways:
- Patricia stood out among others, no one could deny that.
- Marcus was one of those to speak up, among others.
- I expect my mother and father to be at my graduation, among others.
- Among others, Matthew was present throughout Anna’s ordeal.
- The job description includes customer service, scheduling, and managing, among other tasks.
- Among others, the restaurants downtown are some of my favorite places to eat.
- You should be proud that, among others, you’re one of the top students in your class.
“Among Others” – Synonyms
To avoid becoming repetitive, it’s important to know the synonyms for phrases and expressions you often use. When you need to find an alternative to “Among Others”, for example, those are some options you can use:
- And so forth
- And so on
- And others
- And the rest
- As well as
- Along with
Among Others or Among Other?
“Among Others”, as a stand-alone set phrase, should always be used in the plural form, because it refers to a group of items or people who aren’t being listed in the sentence. “Among Other”, in the singular form, doesn’t make sense by itself and would need a complement for correctness.
For example, you could say “Among Other Things”, “Among Other People”, or “Among Other Tasks”. But you should never use “Among Other” as a stand-alone phrase.
Take a look at the examples that will show those differences:
- Jocelyn didn’t want to attend the meeting, among others.
- Jocelyn didn’t want to attend the meeting, among other. (incorrect)
- Jocelyn didn’t want to attend the meeting, among other people.
- Cleaning and keeping the office organized, among others, were part of Claude’s job.
- Cleaning and keeping the office organized, among other, were part of Claude’s job. (incorrect).
- Cleaning and keeping the office organized, among other things, were part of Claude’s job.
As you can see in the two sets of examples, “Among Other” without a complement is incorrect and should be avoided. “Among Others” (in the plural form) and “Among Other” followed by a complement (such as “Things”, as seen in the second set) are correct.
You just have to make sure you pick the form that sounds more idiomatic in the context of what you’re developing as content.
What is Short for “Among Others”?
There’s no contracted form for “Among Others”, as there are for other phrases in the English language. However, it’s possible to abbreviate the phrase, if you think it’d be appropriate while addressing your audience. The abbreviation of “Among Others” is “AO”.
Final Thoughts
“Among Others” is a way to indicate in your sentences that the people or items you’re talking about are part of a larger group or similar that you won’t list name by name, for whatever reason. It can be used in the beginning, middle, or end of the sentence.
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
