</>MDTooltools

Markdown Definition Lists

Write a definition list in Markdown (where supported) by putting the term on one line and each definition on the next line prefixed with a colon and space. GitHub does not support this syntax — use bold terms with indented text as a portable fallback.

Definition list syntax

This is a Markdown Extra / PHP Markdown extension, supported by Pandoc, Python-Markdown, and some static site generators — but not by GitHub Flavored Markdown or CommonMark.

Markdown
: A plain-text formatting syntax created in 2004.

GFM
: GitHub Flavored Markdown, GitHub’s superset of CommonMark.

Portable alternative

For GitHub READMEs and maximum compatibility, fake it with bold terms — it renders acceptably everywhere.

**Markdown**  
A plain-text formatting syntax created in 2004.

**GFM**  
GitHub’s superset of CommonMark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do definition lists work on GitHub?

No. GitHub Flavored Markdown renders the colon syntax as plain text. Use bold terms followed by an indented or line-broken description, or inline HTML <dl>/<dt>/<dd> tags, which GitHub does allow.

Try it live

Paste this syntax into the free markdown to html converter and see the rendered output instantly — no signup, everything runs in your browser.

Open Markdown to HTML Converter →

More Markdown syntax:

Markdown Headings →Bold and Italic in Markdown →Markdown Links →Markdown Images →Full Cheat Sheet →