Ringed marginal instruction

A circle drawn round a written instruction.

Also known as: Circled instruction proofreading, Encircled proof note

Engineering & technicalEveryday & digitalStandard profile

Meanings

The proof correction convention of ringing a marginal note to mark it as an instruction rather than as matter to be set.

Officially standardisedVerified fact
Marks a marginal note as an instruction to be obeyed rather than as matter to be set.
Contexts: Technical drawing
Officially standardisedVerified fact
Resolves the ambiguity the whole system depends on, since a margin holds both new text and instructions about text and the two look identical unringed.
Contexts: Technical drawing

Visual description

A closed ring drawn round a word or letters written in the margin, separating them from unringed matter beside them.

Symmetry: none
Orientation: upright

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references.

Sources

BS 5261 — Copy preparation and proof correction
British Standards Institution · retrieved 2026-08-21
The British Standard defining proof-correction marks and their marginal counterparts. Paywalled, so records describe the marks as documented in secondary summaries of the standard rather than quoting its text. Authoritative for British practice; American convention differs in several marks.
The Chicago Manual of Style
University of Chicago Press · retrieved 2026-08-21
The principal American style authority, including its table of proofreaders' marks. Authoritative for American publishing convention; British practice under BS 5261 differs in several marks and in the use of colour.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24

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Meanings

The proof correction convention of ringing a marginal note to mark it as an instruction rather than as matter to be set.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Marks a marginal note as an instruction to be obeyed rather than as matter to be set.

Contexts: Technical drawing

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Resolves the ambiguity the whole system depends on, since a margin holds both new text and instructions about text and the two look identical unringed.

Contexts: Technical drawing

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard.
Historical originModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references.

Sources

BS 5261 — Copy preparation and proof correction
British Standards Institution · retrieved 2026-08-21
The British Standard defining proof-correction marks and their marginal counterparts. Paywalled, so records describe the marks as documented in secondary summaries of the standard rather than quoting its text. Authoritative for British practice; American convention differs in several marks.
The Chicago Manual of Style
University of Chicago Press · retrieved 2026-08-21
The principal American style authority, including its table of proofreaders' marks. Authoritative for American publishing convention; British practice under BS 5261 differs in several marks and in the use of colour.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24