Et seq — in plain language

Plain language

and the following pages or sections

• and the pages that follow
• and the sections that follow
• and onwards

What to watch for

• Non-lawyers often mistake 'et seq.' for a specific section number rather than a range. Translating it as 'and the following' clarifies that the reference includes everything that comes after the starting point.
• Translators sometimes leave it as 'et seq.' in plain-language documents. This is a mistake; it should always be replaced with English, as the Latin abbreviation is not widely understood by the public.
• It is often used incorrectly in legal documents to refer to an entire body of law. If the context implies a specific range, the translation should specify 'and the following sections' rather than just 'and following.'

Distinguishing from Similar Terms. "Et seq." is frequently confused with "et al." (which means "and others," usually referring to people). "Et seq." is strictly for sequences of documents, pages, or sections. A translator must ensure they do not use these interchangeably.

What to Watch For.

• Scope: When you see "et seq.," the document is usually referring to a block of related rules or pages. If you are translating for a layperson, it is often helpful to clarify if the reference covers the entire chapter or just the next few sections, if the context makes that clear.
• Punctuation: The abbreviation is almost always followed by a period because it is an abbreviation. When translating into plain language, the period should be removed as you are writing out the full phrase.

Common Misunderstandings by Non-Lawyers.

• "People often think 'et seq.' is a specific legal code or a name of a law." (Correction: It is simply a pointer that means 'keep reading the next parts.')
• "Readers may assume it only refers to the very next page." (Correction: It typically refers to the entire series of following sections until the end of that specific topic or chapter.)

Legal definition

"Et seq." is a shorthand abbreviation for the Latin phrase et sequentes or et sequentia, which means "and the following." In legal documents, it is used to indicate that a reference includes not just the specific page or section mentioned, but also all the pages or sections that come immediately after it.

Examples

Where you'll see it

• legal citations
• statutes and regulations
• contract references
• court filings

Related terms

• et al.
• ibid.
• supra
• infra

Word details

Pronunciation

et SEK

Part of speech

phrase

Origin

Latin — from 'et sequentes' or 'et sequentia' — 'and the following'

Domains

contract law, administrative law, statutory law

Frequency

very common

Formality

high