Example: “None of my own experiences ever finds its way into my work. However, the stages of my life—motherhood, middle age, etc. —often influence my subject matter.”
-- Anne Tyler

What etc. stands for in Latin: et cetera What etc. means in English: and other things How etc. is punctuated: with a period at the end How etc. is used: in informal or technical writing, to suggest the logical continuation of a list of things (not, as a general rule, of people) How etc. should not be used: (1) after and ; (2) as a synonym for e.g. or et al. ; (3) in reference to people; (4) vaguely to refer to “other things” that are not at all clear to the reader. How etc. can be avoided: specify all of the items in a list or use “and so on.”