FAQ: What does (n.d.) mean in Chicago Style?

No Date

When the publication date of a printed work cannot be determined, Chicago Style uses the abbreviation (n.d.) to specify no date. See 14.44: No date of publication This link opens in a new window for more details. 

No Date Examples

Footnote Example:

1. Jane Doe, The Study of Shadows (Pantheon Books, n.d.), 45.

Bibliography Example:

Doe, Jane. The Study of Shadows. Pantheon Books, n.d.

Exceptions

Note: When citing a website, dataset, or other electronic documents with no publication date or recent update note, include an access date instead of using no date (n.d.). See 14.104: Citing web pages and websites This link opens in a new window

Footnote Example: Website with Accessed Date

2. “Balkan Romani,” Endangered Languages Project, First Peoples’ Cultural Council and ELCat/ELP, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, accessed October 1, 2022, https://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5342.

More Information

• Chicago Manual of Style This link opens in a new window (Chicago Manual of Style)
• Chicago Style Guide (Shapiro Library)

Disclaimer

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.