Real Dictionary

punctuation
uncountable noun: Punctuation is the use of symbols such as full stops or periods, commas, or question marks to divide written words into sentences and clauses.

punctuation in American English
the act of punctuating; specif., the act or practice of using standardized marks in writing and printing to separate sentences or sentence elements or to make the meaning clearer
noun: the practice or system of using certain conventional marks or characters in writing or printing in order to separate elements and make the meaning clear, as in ending a sentence or separating clauses

punctuation in British English
noun: the use of symbols not belonging to the alphabet of a writing system to indicate aspects of the intonation and meaning not otherwise conveyed in the written language