<dfn>: The DFN Element
Last updated: 2026-10-13
<dfn>The DFN Element
Marks the defining instance of a term, usually its first occurrence in the document.
| Category | Formatting |
|---|---|
| Content Model | Phrasing content |
| Allowed Parents | Any element that accepts phrasing content |
| Content Tag | Yes — requires closing </dfn> tag |
| Status | Standard |
📝 Syntax
<dfn>term</dfn>▶ Example
Edit the code below and see the live result in the playground:
🌐 Browser Support
| Browser |  Chrome |
 Edge |
 Firefox |
 Safari |
 Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <dfn> | ✓ v1 | ✓ v12 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 |
| Supported in all major browsers | |||||
Tip： The parent of <dfn> is treated as the definition context; combine with <abbr> to also mark the abbreviation.
❓ FAQ
QWhat does the dfn tag do?
A
<dfn> marks the term being defined; its definition should immediately follow (in the same paragraph, or in a <dt>/<dd> definition list). For example: <p><dfn>HTML</dfn> is a markup language for creating web pages.</p>.QCan dfn be used together with abbr?
AYes. A common combination is
<dfn><abbr title='HyperText Markup Language'>HTML</abbr></dfn> — <abbr> provides the full name while <dfn> declares that this term is being defined here. The two semantics complement each other.QDoes dfn have a default style?
ABrowsers render
<dfn> in italics (font-style: italic) by default, and that is all. It is rarely used alone; its main value is semantic marking, and it becomes most meaningful when combined with <dl> definition lists or in-document anchor links.🏷️ Related Tags
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