Lists: itemize, enumerate, description

Use itemize for bullet points and enumerate for a numbered list, with \item before each entry. For terms with explanations, use description and put the term in brackets: \item[Term].

Bullet points

Each entry of an itemize list starts with \item. Entries can be several lines long, and can hold more than one paragraph.

Bring to the field trip:
\begin{itemize}
  \item a notebook and two pencils,
  \item water for the whole day,
  \item a rain jacket.
\end{itemize}

Numbered lists

enumerate numbers its entries 1, 2, 3 and so on.

\begin{enumerate}
  \item Open the editor.
  \item Choose New project.
  \item Start writing.
\end{enumerate}

Nested lists

Put a list inside an \item to nest it. Indent the source so you can see the levels; the editor does not need it, but you will thank yourself later.

\begin{enumerate}
  \item Fruit
  \begin{itemize}
    \item Apples
    \item Pears
    \begin{itemize}
      \item Williams
      \item Conference
    \end{itemize}
  \end{itemize}
  \item Vegetables
  \begin{enumerate}
    \item Carrots
    \item Leeks
  \end{enumerate}
\end{enumerate}

The markers per level differ a little from a TeX installation:

Description lists

In a description list, each \item takes the term in square brackets. The term is set in bold, followed by its explanation.

Terms and their explanations

LaTeXCopyOpen in editor (opens in a new tab)

\begin{description}
  \item[Preamble] The part before \verb|\begin{document}|.
  \item[Body] The text that is printed.
  \item[Package] A set of extra commands, loaded with
    \verb|\usepackage|.
\end{description}

Custom labels

In a TeX installation, \item[...] in an itemize or enumerate list replaces the bullet or number with your own label. In Scissor LaTeX the bullet or number stays and your label is printed after it, as the start of the entry.

\begin{itemize}
  \item[+] Faster than before
  \item[--] Uses more memory
\end{itemize}
\begin{description}
  \item[Pro] Faster than before
  \item[Con] Uses more memory
\end{description}

Two lists in a row

Before the trip:
\begin{enumerate}
  \item Pack.
  \item Sleep.
\end{enumerate}
On the day:
\begin{enumerate}
  \item Wake up.
  \item Leave at 7:44.
\end{enumerate}

The enumitem and paralist packages

The enumitem package adds options in square brackets after \begin{itemize} or \begin{enumerate}, such as [label=(\alph*)], [start=5] or [noitemsep]. Scissor LaTeX accepts them and ignores them: the list keeps its normal look and numbering. \setcounter{enumi}{...} is ignored as well.

\begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*), start=4]
  \item Numbered 1, not (d).
  \item Numbered 2, not (e).
\end{enumerate}

The compact lists of the paralist package, compactitem, compactenum and compactdesc, work like itemize, enumerate and description. inparaenum, which numbers items inside a paragraph, is set as a normal numbered list. More details on the enumitem and paralist page.

What differs from a TeX installation

The full manuals are at ctan.org/pkg/enumitem and ctan.org/pkg/paralist.

See also enumitem, paralist, Text styles and multicol.

Every example on this page is typeset by Scissor LaTeX when the site is built. Last updated 2026-11-06.