Create bullet points, numbered lists, and custom lists in LaTeX. Learn about itemize, enumerate, and description environments.
Lists are fundamental for organizing information clearly. LaTeX provides three main list environments: unordered lists (bullets), ordered lists (numbers), and description lists.
Quick start: Use itemize for bullets, enumerate for numbers, and description for term definitions.
\documentclass{article}\begin{document}\begin{itemize} \item First level \begin{itemize} \item Second level \begin{itemize} \item Third level \begin{itemize} \item Fourth level \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \end{itemize} \item Back to first level\end{itemize}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\begin{document}Recipe steps:\begin{enumerate} \item Preheat oven to 350°F \item Mix ingredients \item Pour into pan \item Bake for 30 minutes \item Let cool and enjoy\end{enumerate}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\begin{document}\begin{enumerate} \item First item \begin{enumerate} \item Sub-item A \item Sub-item B \begin{enumerate} \item Detail i \item Detail ii \end{enumerate} \end{enumerate} \item Second item\end{enumerate}\end{document}
Use the description environment for term-definition pairs:
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\documentclass{article}\begin{document}\begin{description} \item[LaTeX] A document preparation system \item[PDF] Portable Document Format \item[Typography] The art of arranging type \item[Compiler] Software that processes LaTeX code\end{description}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\begin{document}% Temporarily change bullet symbol\begin{itemize} \item[→] First point \item[→] Second point \item[→] Third point\end{itemize}% Using different symbols\begin{itemize} \item[*] Asterisk bullet \item[†] Dagger bullet \item[§] Section symbol \item[¶] Paragraph symbol\end{itemize}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\begin{document}% Roman numerals\begin{enumerate} \item[(i)] First item \item[(ii)] Second item \item[(iii)] Third item\end{enumerate}% Custom starting number\begin{enumerate} \setcounter{enumi}{4} \item This is item 5 \item This is item 6\end{enumerate}% Letters instead of numbers\begin{enumerate} \item[(a)] Option A \item[(b)] Option B \item[(c)] Option C\end{enumerate}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{enumitem}\begin{document}% Normal spacing\begin{itemize} \item First item \item Second item \item Third item\end{itemize}% Compact spacing\begin{itemize}[noitemsep] \item First item \item Second item \item Third item\end{itemize}% No spacing at all\begin{itemize}[noitemsep,topsep=0pt] \item First item \item Second item \item Third item\end{itemize}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{enumitem}\begin{document}\begin{enumerate}[itemsep=1em] \item First item with extra space after \item Second item with extra space after \item Third item\end{enumerate}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{enumitem}\begin{document}% Custom labels\begin{enumerate}[label=\arabic*)] \item First item \item Second item\end{enumerate}\begin{enumerate}[label=\Alph*.] \item First item \item Second item\end{enumerate}% Inline lists\begin{enumerate*}[label=(\alph*)] \item First \item Second \item Third\end{enumerate*}% Resume numbering\begin{enumerate} \item First item \item Second item\end{enumerate}Text in between...\begin{enumerate}[resume] \item This is item 3 \item This is item 4\end{enumerate}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{enumitem}\begin{document}% Left-aligned labels\begin{itemize}[align=left] \item Short \item A much longer item label\end{itemize}% Right-aligned labels\begin{enumerate}[align=right] \item First \item Second \item Third\end{enumerate}% Hanging indent\begin{itemize}[leftmargin=*] \item This is a long item that will wrap to the next line and maintain proper indentation \item Another item\end{itemize}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{enumitem}\begin{document}The process involves: \begin{enumerate*}[label=(\roman*)] \item preparation, \item execution, \item evaluation, and \item revision.\end{enumerate*}This keeps the list inline with the text.My favorite colors are:\begin{itemize*} \item red, \item blue, and \item green.\end{itemize*}\end{document}
\documentclass{article}\begin{document}\textbf{Pros:}\begin{itemize} \item[+] Easy to learn \item[+] Professional output \item[+] Free and open source\end{itemize}\textbf{Cons:}\begin{itemize} \item[--] Initial setup required \item[--] Compilation needed\end{itemize}\end{document}