While a tattoo can be as thought-out or frivolous as you want, getting a meaningful piece is a great way to honor something important to you. A design with meaning adds another layer of personalization, making it a genuinely unique tattoo no matter how popular the symbol. And considering a tattoo will be with you forever (or until you remove it), a meaningful choice means you’ll enjoy the reminder of what it represents every time you look at it. One popular meaningful tattoo design is the semicolon, which has come to be a major symbol of mental health and resilience over the years. Ahead, we dive into the meaning of semicolon tattoos plus share 24 stunning examples to fit every aesthetic.
What Does a Semicolon Tattoo Mean?
In the context of grammar, a semicolon is used to combine two complete sentences that are related. In other words, a semicolon means that the thought is not quite over even though the sentence is—there’s still more to come. That sentiment is the ethos of Project Semicolon, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about mental health, self-harm, suicide, and addiction.
While you don’t have to get a semicolon tattoo because of its meaning, many people do so to honor someone—whether that’s a friend, a relative, or themselves—or to raise general awareness. A semicolon tattoo is more than just a visual representation; it's often a conversation starter, so you can spread the word while rocking your cool tat.
The semicolon’s flexibility as a design has made the symbol a popular tattoo choice, and it's led to tons of beautifully customized pieces of ink. If you’re considering a semicolon tattoo, see 24 ways to personalize the design below.
The Best Semicolon Tattoo Inspiration
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Butterfly
This design uses a semicolon as the body of a butterfly, with wings attached. The symbolic message offers a lesson on beginnings, ends, and new life.
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Miniscule
This dainty design offers the subtlest nod at the meaningful trend. Placement on the wrist is traditional for semicolon tattoos, making this one a classic.
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Heart
This style puts a sweet twist on the traditional semicolon, pairing a heart with a comma beneath. This offers extra symbolism for those who get the art in honor of a loved one.
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Classic
Placement on the wrist and black ink make this a classic take on semicolon tattoo art.
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Floral
This tattoo places the semicolon within a two-strand floral wreath. It's proof that you can pair semicolons with other designs for an extra twist.
A subtle sun design takes the place of the traditional period in this semicolon design. The sun adds the extra symbolism of dawn and new beginnings.
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Brush Strokes
This bold style eschews the standard dot and comma for a wide, brush-stroke-like take on the trend. It looks great in black but could work with a wide variety of other hues, as well.
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Back of the Neck
The back of the neck is a prime spot for a tattoo like this one, where the symbolism is only noticeable when you choose to pull your hair up to show it off.
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Purple and Blue
The stunning, ombré shades of purple and blue here add a fun hint of personality to classic semicolon art.
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Flower Branch
Why settle for one design when you could have two you love? This style features both a striking floral brand and a semicolon—so you get the best of both worlds.
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Multicolored
This strip of color is bold and beautiful, with blues and deep greens throughout. The semicolon offers the juxtaposition of a bright white border to help the design (and its meaning) stand out.
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Rainbow
This series of rainbow dots is both striking and symbolic, with each grammatical nod offering a different point of view. The choice to make the final purple one into a semicolon helps communicate the message that your story is never truly over.
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Arrow
This design offers a double meaning: the semicolon to raise awareness for suicide prevention, and an arrow to represent that the wearer will continue on.
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Mermaid
A truly unique take on the semicolon, this style features a mermaid and flower moon comprising the symbol. The colors and bold design make this one a showstopper.
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Warrior
Here, the semicolon stands in for an "i" in the word "warrior." The message and the symbol signify remaining steadfast against opposition.
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Sunflower
At first glance, this simple design appears to be nothing more than a sunflower, but upon further inspection, you'll notice a semicolon takes residence within the flower's stem.
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Abstract Butterfly
Butterflies are a popular semicolon design, but we like how this one is done in simple black ink, with the added twist of an abstract shape.
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Beating Heart
An anatomical heart tops a semicolon here for a "heartfelt" take on the trend. You could pair nearly any clip art with a semicolon, though the heart makes it extra symbolic.
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Paint Splatter
This paint splatter design draws extra attention to the semicolon and allows the wearer to rock all their favorite hues of the rainbow.
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Earth and Asteroid
This Big Bang-themed design sees a dinosaur-laden Earth colliding with an asteroid. Together, the shapes mimic a semicolon, but with a fun, cartoonish twist.
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Thin Line
This simple and elegant take on the look utilizes just two thin lines, but the varying colors (red and black) offer a complementary and more impactful design.
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Flock of Birds
Here, the top of the semicolon tattoo breaks off into a flock of birds. The message is one of freedom and continuation.
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Cat
Here, a semicolon gets topped with a tiny cat head. This is perfect for cat lovers, but you can also adjust it to feature another shape, depending on your interests.
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Sentence Fragment
Some of the more touching semicolon tattoo designs are those that feature the semicolon at the end of a sentence to signify—as this design does—that your story isn't over.
So, what does a semicolon tattoo mean? The simple answer is that a semicolon tattoo means that the person wearing it has overcome some sort of hardship in their life. The semicolon has become a symbol of hope for people who have battled depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health issues.
semicolon. A punctuation mark (;) used to join two independent clauses in a sentence. The semicolon shows that the ideas in the two clauses are related: “Jack really didn't mind being left without a car; he had the house to himself.”
The semicolon ; (or semi-colon) is a symbol commonly used as orthographic punctuation. In the English language, a semicolon is most commonly used to link (in a single sentence) two independent clauses that are closely related in thought, such as when restating the preceding idea with a different expression.
Tattooing the semicolon represents the hope needed for moments of darkness, and in people who have struggled with depression or who have had suicide attempts, it symbolizes a time when they contemplated ending their lives but decided to resist, fighting disorders and self-harm.
They are known for encouraging people to tattoo the punctuation mark semicolon (;) as a form of solidarity between people dealing with mental illness or the death of someone from suicide. Founded in 2013, ten years after the death of Amy Bleuel's father by suicide.
The number 444 is frequently interpreted as a sign of divine presence and support, making the 444 tattoo a potent symbol for those navigating their life paths. It also embodies luck, stability, and inner strength, closely aligning with personal beliefs and amplifying the wearer's narrative.
The semicolon says that the past doesn't tell our whole story. There's always a future story yet to be told. The semicolon dares to hope about this future that the best is always yet to come. I believe this is true, always, which is why love is a semicolon.
The semicolon symbolizes a continuation of someone's life. The semicolon is a representation of strength in the middle of a storm. It is used as an affirmation of solidarity against a plethora of mental health issues including suicide, eating disorders and addictive behaviors.
Really simple and especially beautiful semicolon tattoos stand for hope. Place them on your wrist, behind your ear, your finger or anywhere you like, it's your body after all. Every time you look at this meaningful tattoo you'll be reminded that you and other semicolon tattoo wearers kept going and made it through.
The use of the semicolon suggests that the writer sees the two smaller sentences as being more closely related than the average two consecutive sentences; preferring the semicolon to and often gives a more vivid sense of the relation between the two.
The semicolon is used when a sentence could have ended, but didn't” If you have ever self harmed, been depressed, or attempted suicide, you might want to be part of The Semicolon Movement. It helps serve a a reminder that your sentence doesn't have to end, and you don't have to end it.
A semicolon is most commonly used to link (in a single sentence) two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. When a semicolon is used to join two or more ideas (parts) in a sentence, those ideas are then given equal position or rank.
It's a tattoo that has gained popularity in recent years, but unlike other random or mystifying trends, this one has a serious meaning behind it. (And no, it's not just the mark of a really committed grammar nerd.) The semicolon tattoo represents mental health struggles and the importance of suicide prevention.
The tattoo artist uses a machine that looks like a sewing machine. The machine contains one or two needles that inject inking droplets just under your skin. Any arm, right or left, would be good for a tattoo. The choice boils down to your personal preferences.
Sometimes, the smallest tattoos can have the biggest meaning, and that's definitely the case with Bieber's lowercase cursive "g" tattoo. The letter is an homage to Georgia, the daughter of pastor Chad Veach, who was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder called lissencephaly.
Here's an example: “The pancakes were delicious; they were fluffy and sweet.” You can see that each half of this sentence—on either side of the semicolon—could stand alone as a complete sentence. I could replace the semicolon with a period, and it would still make perfect sense.
Photo Whiserkino. The three dots tattoo is a common prison tattoo that represents “mi vida loca,” or “my crazy life.” It's not associated with any particular gang, but with the gang lifestyle itself. This tattoo is typically found on the hands or around the eyes.
Spiritual or religious significance: In some spiritual or religious contexts, two dots can represent the idea of duality or the balance between two opposing forces. For example, in Hinduism, two dots can represent the dualistic concept of yin and yang, or the balance between masculine and feminine energies.
They can symbolize strength, determination, or serve as a reminder of significant life events. Some common symbols include infinity signs, hearts, feathers, birds, and anchors. Wrist tattoos can also represent personal milestones, cultural heritage, or acts as a tribute to loved ones.
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