HTML <dd> Tag
The HTML <dd>
tag represents the description in a description list. More precisely, the <dd>
element represents the description, definition, or value, part of a term-description group in a description list.
In a description list (also known as an association list or a definition list), each list item contains two or more entries; a term (dt
) and a description (dd
).
Note that a definition term can be linked to more than one description. There can also be multiple terms for a single description (for example, in the case where there are multiple spellings of a term being defined). In this case, each term must be enclosed in its own set of dt
tags (there shouldn't be any more than one term within a single dt
element).
Syntax
The <dd>
tag is written as <dd>
</dd>
with the definition description inserted between the start and end tag.
The tag must be used inside a <dl>
element, and must follow either a <dt>
element or another <dd>
element.
Like this:
Examples
Basic tag usage
Here's an example of a basic description list.
Using dfn
to Define a Term
The dt
element does not indicate that its contents are a term being defined. To indicate the defining instance of a term, use the dfn
element.
Multiple Terms
Here's an example of using multiple <dt>
elements for a single <dd>
element.
Multiple <dd>
Elements
You can have more than one <dd>
element for each <dt>
element (any given term could have multiple definitions). Each <dd>
element provides a separate description.
In this example, I've added the CSS margin-bottom
property to the <dd>
element so that there's a small space between each definition description.
Nested Lists
You can have nested description lists if your descriptions are more complex. You can also have paragraphs and other elements.
In fact, the <dd>
element can contain "flow content" so you can nest most other elements inside the <dd>
element ("flow content" refers to most HTML elements that can appear within the <body>
of an HTML document).
Here's an example of a description list that contains a <p>
element, an ordered (<ol>
) and unordered list (<ul>
) among its definition descriptions.
Attributes
Attributes can be added to an HTML element to provide more information about how the element should appear or behave.
The <dd>
element accepts the following attributes.
Attribute | Description |
---|---|
None |
Global Attributes
The following attributes are standard across all HTML elements. Therefore, you can use these attributes with the <dd>
tag , as well as with all other HTML tags.
accesskey
autocapitalize
class
contenteditable
data-*
dir
draggable
hidden
id
inputmode
is
itemid
itemprop
itemref
itemscope
itemtype
lang
part
slot
spellcheck
style
tabindex
title
translate
For a full explanation of these attributes, see HTML 5 global attributes.
Event Handlers
Event handler content attributes enable you to invoke a script from within your HTML. The script is invoked when a certain "event" occurs. Each event handler content attribute deals with a different event.
onabort
onauxclick
onblur
oncancel
oncanplay
oncanplaythrough
onchange
onclick
onclose
oncontextmenu
oncopy
oncuechange
oncut
ondblclick
ondrag
ondragend
ondragenter
ondragexit
ondragleave
ondragover
ondragstart
ondrop
ondurationchange
onemptied
onended
onerror
onfocus
onformdata
oninput
oninvalid
onkeydown
onkeypress
onkeyup
onlanguagechange
onload
onloadeddata
onloadedmetadata
onloadstart
onmousedown
onmouseenter
onmouseleave
onmousemove
onmouseout
onmouseover
onmouseup
onpaste
onpause
onplay
onplaying
onprogress
onratechange
onreset
onresize
onscroll
onsecuritypolicyviolation
onseeked
onseeking
onselect
onslotchange
onstalled
onsubmit
onsuspend
ontimeupdate
ontoggle
onvolumechange
onwaiting
onwheel
Most event handler content attributes can be used on all HTML elements, but some event handlers have specific rules around when they can be used and which elements they are applicable to.
For more detail, see HTML event handler content attributes.