What does e.g. mean?
E.g. stands for exempli gratia, Latin for for example or for the sake of example. It introduces one or more examples, as in fruits, e.g., apples and bananas.
Use e.g. when you are giving examples from a larger group, not a complete list. For instance: She enjoys outdoor sports, e.g., hiking and kayaking. The reader understands that hiking and kayaking are examples and that there may be other sports too. A helpful memory trick is to think of e.g. as example given.
Because e.g. already shows the list is incomplete, there is no need to add etc. at the end. In American English, e.g. is usually followed by a comma, while British writers often leave it out.
In formal writing
E.g. is common in academic writing, footnotes, instructions and lists. In speeches and casual writing, people usually say for example or such as instead, which can sound more natural. In some languages, other abbreviations are used, like z.B. in German, from zum Beispiel.
Did You Know?
The phrase exempli gratia literally means for the sake of an example.