Editing Ampersand (section)

==Usage==
Ampersands are commonly seen in business names formed from a partnership of two or more people, such as ''[[Johnson & Johnson]]'', ''[[Dolce & Gabbana]]'', ''[[Marks & Spencer]]'' and ''[[Tiffany & Co]]'', as well as some abbreviations containing the word ''and'', such as ''[[AT&T]]'' (American Telephone and Telegraph), ''[[A&P]]'' (supermarkets), ''[[P&O]]'' (originally "Peninsular and Oriental", shipping and logistics company), ''R&D'' ([[research and development]]), ''D&B'' ([[drum and bass]]), ''D&D'' ([[Dungeons & Dragons]]), ''R&B'' ([[rhythm and blues]]), ''B&B'' ([[bed and breakfast]]), and ''P&L'' ([[profit and loss]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=Ampersands|url=http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Ampersands.html?old=Ampersands01.html|access-date=1 April 2015|website=ChicagoManualOfStyle.org|archive-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402143026/http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/qanda/data/faq/topics/Ampersands.html?old=Ampersands01.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JZqfZfIvtlsC&pg=PA49 |title=Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary of Unendurable English: A Compendium of Mistakes in Grammar, Usage, and Spelling with Commentary on Lexicographers |isbn=9781451651348 |access-date=23 September 2016 |archive-date=20 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220011841/https://books.google.com/books?id=JZqfZfIvtlsC&pg=PA49 |url-status=live |last1=Fiske |first1=Robert Hartwell |date=November 2011 |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]}}</ref>

In [[film]] credits for stories, [[screenplay]]s, etc., ''&'' indicates a closer collaboration than ''and''. The ampersand is used by the [[Writers Guild of America]] to denote two writers collaborating on a specific script, rather than one writer rewriting another's work. In screenplays, two authors joined with ''&'' collaborated on the script, while two authors joined with ''and'' worked on the script at different times and may not have consulted each other at all.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wga.org/the-guild/about-us/faq#credits4|title=Frequently Asked Questions|work=Writers Guild of America|access-date=24 September 2018|archive-date=26 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126032418/https://www.wga.org/the-guild/about-us/faq#credits4|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Screenwriter's Bible |last=Trottier |first=David |edition=5th expanded & updated |isbn=978-1-935247-02-9 |page=142|year=2010 |publisher=Silman-James Press }}</ref> In the latter case, they both contributed enough significant material to the screenplay to receive credit but did not work together. As a result, both & and ''and'' may appear in the same credit, as appropriate to how the writing proceeded.

In [[APA style]], the ampersand is used when citing sources in text such as (Jones & Jones, 2005). In the list of references, an ampersand precedes the last author's name when there is more than one author.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/03/ |title=Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide |publisher=Owl.english.purdue.edu |access-date=8 May 2012 |archive-date=30 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120430193707/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/03/ |url-status=live }}</ref> (This does not apply to [[The MLA Style Manual|MLA style]], which calls for the "and" to be spelled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/ |title=Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide |publisher=Owl.english.purdue.edu |date=9 February 2012 |access-date=8 May 2012 |archive-date=12 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512031037/http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/ |url-status=live }}</ref>)

The phrase {{lang|LA|[[et cetera]]}} ("and the rest"), usually written as ''etc.'' can be abbreviated ''&c.'' representing the combination ''et'' + ''c(etera)''.

The ampersand can be used to indicate that the "and" in a listed item is a part of the item's name and not a separator (e.g. "Rock, pop, rhythm & blues and hip hop").{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

The ampersand may still be used as an abbreviation for "and" in informal writing regardless of how "and" is used.