---
title: Description / definition lists
based_on: https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/definition_lists.md
---
## Definition lists
The term is given on a line by itself, followed by
one or more definitions. Each definition must begin
with `:` (after 0-2 spaces); subsequent lines must
be indented unless they are lazy paragraph
continuations.
The list is tight if there is no blank line between
the term and the first definition, otherwise loose.
```````````````````````````````` example
apple
: red fruit
orange
: orange fruit
.
<dl>
<dt>apple</dt>
<dd>red fruit</dd>
<dt>orange</dt>
<dd>orange fruit</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Loose:
```````````````````````````````` example
apple
: red fruit
orange
: orange fruit
.
<dl>
<dt>apple</dt>
<dd>
<p>red fruit</p>
</dd>
<dt>orange</dt>
<dd>
<p>orange fruit</p>
</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Indented marker:
```````````````````````````````` example
apple
: red fruit
orange
: orange fruit
.
<dl>
<dt>apple</dt>
<dd>red fruit</dd>
<dt>orange</dt>
<dd>orange fruit</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
```````````````````````````````` example
apple
: red fruit
orange
: orange fruit
.
<dl>
<dt>apple</dt>
<dd>
<p>red fruit</p>
</dd>
<dt>orange</dt>
<dd>
<p>orange fruit</p>
</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Multiple blocks in a definition:
```````````````````````````````` example
*apple*
: red fruit
contains seeds,
crisp, pleasant to taste
*orange*
: orange fruit
{ orange code block }
> orange block quote
.
<dl>
<dt><em>apple</em></dt>
<dd>
<p>red fruit</p>
<p>contains seeds,
crisp, pleasant to taste</p>
</dd>
<dt><em>orange</em></dt>
<dd>
<p>orange fruit</p>
<pre><code>{ orange code block }
</code></pre>
<blockquote>
<p>orange block quote</p>
</blockquote>
</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Nested lists:
```````````````````````````````` example
term
: 1. Para one
Para two
.
<dl>
<dt>term</dt>
<dd>
<ol>
<li>
<p>Para one</p>
<p>Para two</p>
</li>
</ol>
</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Multiple definitions, tight:
```````````````````````````````` example
apple
: red fruit
: computer company
orange
: orange fruit
: telecom company
.
<dl>
<dt>apple</dt>
<dd>red fruit</dd>
<dd>computer company</dd>
<dt>orange</dt>
<dd>orange fruit</dd>
<dd>telecom company</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Multiple definitions, loose:
```````````````````````````````` example
apple
: red fruit
: computer company
orange
: orange fruit
: telecom company
.
<dl>
<dt>apple</dt>
<dd>
<p>red fruit</p>
</dd>
<dd>
<p>computer company</p>
</dd>
<dt>orange</dt>
<dd>
<p>orange fruit</p>
</dd>
<dd>
<p>telecom company</p>
</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Lazy line continuations:
```````````````````````````````` example
apple
: red fruit
: computer
company
orange
: orange
fruit
: telecom company
.
<dl>
<dt>apple</dt>
<dd>
<p>red fruit</p>
</dd>
<dd>
<p>computer
company</p>
</dd>
<dt>orange</dt>
<dd>
<p>orange
fruit</p>
</dd>
<dd>
<p>telecom company</p>
</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
`~` may be used as a marker instead of `:`:
```````````````````````````````` example
apple
~ red fruit
orange
~ orange fruit
.
<dl>
<dt>apple</dt>
<dd>red fruit</dd>
<dt>orange</dt>
<dd>orange fruit</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Definition terms may span multiple lines:
```````````````````````````````` example
a
b\
c
: foo
.
<dl>
<dt>a
b<br />
c</dt>
<dd>
<p>foo</p>
</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````
Definition list with preceding paragraph
(<https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/issues/35>):
```````````````````````````````` example
Foo
bar
: baz
bim
: bor
.
<p>Foo</p>
<dl>
<dt>bar</dt>
<dd>baz</dd>
<dt>bim</dt>
<dd>bor</dd>
</dl>
````````````````````````````````