Should the abbreviation etc. be capitalized in a title?
Note: This post relates to content in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook. For up-to-date guidance, see the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook.
Whether the abbreviation etc., meaning “and so forth,” should be capitalized in a title depends on its location in the title.
In our publications, we capitalize etc. when it appears at the end of a title because in MLA style the last term in a title is always capitalized:
“Treaty with the Dwamish, Suquamish, Etc.”
When etc. falls in the middle of a title, we may capitalize or lowercase it:
“Treaty with the Dwamish, Suquamish, Etc., 1885.”
or
“Treaty with the Dwamish, Suquamish, etc., 1885.”
Whichever styling is chosen, it must be applied consistently throughout one essay or book.