in Grammar, one of the points or stops used to distinguish the several members of a sentence from each other.
The mark or character of the semicolon is (;), and has its name as being of somewhat less effect than a colon; or as demanding a shorter pause.
The proper use of the semicolon is to distinguish the conjunct members of a sentence. Now, by a conjunct member of a sentence is meant such a one as contains at least two simple members.—Whenever, then, a sentence can be divided into several members of the same degree, which are again divisible into other simple members, the former are to be separated by a semicolon. For instance: "If fortune bear a great sway over him, who has nicely slated and concerted every circumstance of an affair; we must not commit every thing, without reserve, to fortune, lest he have too great a hold of us." Again: Si quantum in agro lociique desertis audacia potest, tantum in foro atque judicis impudentia valeret; non minus in causa cederet Aulus Caecina Sextia Æbutii impudentiae, quam tum in vi facienda eflis audacie. An instance in a more complex sentence we have in Cicero: Res familiaris primam bene parta fit, nulloque turpi quaefu: tum quam plurimis, modo dignis, se utilem praebat; deinde augeatur ratione, diligentia, parfimonia; nec libidini potius luxuriaeque, quam liberalitati et beneficentiae parent.
But though the proper use of the semicolon be to distinguish conjunct members, it is not necessary that all the members thus divided be conjunct. For upon dividing a sentence into great and equal parts, if one of them be conjunct, all those other parts of the same degree are to be distinguished by a semicolon.—Sometimes also it happens, that members that are opposite to each other, but relate to the same verb, are separated by a semicolon. Thus Cicero: Ex hac parte pudor, illinc petulantia; hinc fides, illinc fraudatio; hinc pietas, illinc secta, &c. To this likewise may be referred such sentences, where the whole going before, the parts follow: as "The parts of oratory are four; invention, disposition, elocution, and pronunciation."