Is et al. Italicized? (APA, AP, Chicago, and MLA)

You will have seen the term “et al.” written in textbooks and academic writing but may have had doubts over whether it should be in italics or not. This page looks at the different formatting styles and explains how to format “et al.” for each style.

Is et al. Italicized?

The Latin term “et al.”, meaning “and others”, is not generally put in italics. However, on two occasions, it is in italics. The first is when using it as a standalone term in APA, Harvard, and MLA, and the second is for in-text and end-of-text citations in Harvard referencing.

The term “et al.” is used to reference multiple authors, and it comes from the Latin term “et alia”, meaning “and others.”

There are times when “et al.” is in italics becauseit comes from a Latin word, which in legal and formal writing are usually in italics to highlight the fact they are Latin rather than English.

Therefore, when using the term “et al.” as part of a standalone phrase or term, the same as in this paragraph, you need to use italics to show it is Latin. Also, the fact that the “al” part is an abbreviation means that it must have a full stop after it, even If the sentence is carrying on as usual.

However, when using “et al.” in formal writing as part of an in-text reference or on a reference list, It is only the Harvard style that uses italics.

Is et al. Italicized in APA Style?

The term is used in APA style to represent when there are more than three authors of a publication. In APA style, the term “et al.” should only be in italics if you are discussing the term as a standalone phrase.

However, it is unnecessary to use italics when it forms part of an in-text reference or a reference list.

Here is how references would look with “et al.” in APA style:

• Two authors- Jones & Marsh (2010), argue that most people are unaware of the dangers posed by red meat. (In-text)
• Three or more authors – Jones et al. (2010), argue that most people are unaware of the dangers posed by red meat. (In-text)
• Three or more authors – Jones et al., (2010), 21^st Century Diets. UK, Pegasus Publishing (Reference)

Is et al. Italicized in AP Style?

The AP style is mainly used by press and media organizations to report the news. Therefore, it would be far less common for you to come across an “et al.” in a news article than it would in a piece of academic writing. However, this doesn’t mean that you won’t ever come across it, but it might be rare. 

It is also rare that an AP-style document would contain any reference list at all, and it is more likely that all references will be in-text citations.

Nonetheless, if you include an “et al.” in an AP-style piece of writing, it should only be placed in italics if it is a standalone phrase to show that it comes from Latin. Likewise, it should not be in italics if it forms part of a reference.

Here is an example of how “et al.” would look in an AP article:

• Smith et al. (2001) stated that interest rates would not rise until next year (In-text)

Is et al. Italicized in Chicago Style?

In contrast to the APA style, in the Chicago style, the term “et al.” is not placed in italics, even when it is a standalone Latin term. Furthermore, as part of a reference list, it should also not be in italics.

When using “et al.” in text, you should only list the first author’s name; however, in the reference list, you should list all the authors and their initials.

This is how two references would look in Chicago style:

• Smith et al. (2001) stated that interest rates would not rise until next year (In-text)
• Smith, J, Jones, P, Lopez, H, (2001), Inflation under the spotlight. UK, Penguin. (Reference)

Is et al. Italicized in MLA Style?

The MLA and Chicago styles are very similar and follow similar formatting rules in the case of “et al.”. However, when making an in-text citation, MLA guidance states that you should not use “et al.” in a narrative citation, and you should instead use an English term such as “and others” or “and colleagues.”

In MLA style, “et al.” should never be in italics, even when it is a standalone Latin term. Furthermore, for MLA style, you should not use “et al. on the reference list and should instead type out the names of the authors, as shown below.

Here are some examples of “et al.” in MLA style:

• Many believe there is no way that we can lower inflation (Smith et al., 2001). (in-text)
• Smith and colleagues (2001) stated that interest rates would not rise until next year (In-text)

• Smith, J, Jones, P, Lopez, H, (2001). Inflation under the spotlight. UK, Penguin. (Reference)

Is et al. Italicized in Harvard Referencing?

When using the Latin term “et al.” in Harvard referencing, the term should be in italics for both in-text citations and the referencing list at the end of the text. There is some evidence that some institutions do not require the “et al.” to be in italics on the reference list, but as a general rule, it is better to do so.

Here are some examples of how “et al.” would look in Harvard style:

• Smith et al. (2001) stated that interest rates would not rise until next year (In-text)
• Many believe there is no way that we can lower inflation (Smith et al., 2001). (in-text)
• Smith, J, et al., (2001), Inflation under the spotlight. UK, Penguin. (Reference)

Final Thoughts

The term “et al.” is common in essays and research papers to indicate multiple authors. For APA and Harvard, you should use “et al.” in italics when referring to the word itself, like in this paragraph. However, as part of a reference, only the Harvard style uses italics.