Viz

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /vɪz/

Definitions

1. specifically mentioned or outlined, frequently used to provide clarification or an example of a preceding statement
2. explicitly expressed or detailed, often employed to illustrate or elucidate a point that has been referenced
3. particularly indicated or detailed, commonly utilized to clarify or exemplify a previously made assertion

Etymology: "Viz." is short for "videlicet", a Latin word meaning "that is to say" or "namely". It is built from "vide", the imperative of "videre" ("to see"), plus "licet", "it is permitted", so the literal sense is roughly "you may see" or "it is permitted to see". Scribes used it to introduce a clarification or a list of specifics, which is why it still signals "in other words" or "namely" in modern English. The abbreviation was written with a contraction mark and the final letters often dropped, so "viz." stands for the first two syllables of the full Latin word. English readers usually pronounce it as the full word "namely" or "that is," not as the Latin syllables, which is a common source of confusion.

Synonyms: namely, that is, to wit, specifically, i.e.