Labeled and Definition Lists

On this page, you’ll learn:

  • How to mark up a labeled list with AsciiDoc.

Labeled lists, also known as definition lists, provide a list of terms or phrases and their descriptions.

1. Labeled list syntax

Each item in a labeled list consists of a term or phrase followed by:

  • two consecutive colons, aka a double colon (::) separator,

  • then at least one space or endline,

  • and finally, the description or definition of the item.

Here’s an example of a labeled list with two terms and their descriptions.

Labeled list
Keyboard::
Used to enter text or control items on the screen. (1)
Mouse:: Used to point to and select items on your computer screen. (2)
1 The term and its definition can be placed on separate lines.
2 The term and its definition can be placed on the same line as long as there is at least one blank space between the :: and definition text.
Example 1. Result
Keyboard

Used to enter text or control items on the screen.

Mouse

Used to point to and select items on your computer screen.

The description of each item is displayed below the label when rendered.

Asciidoctor resources