Numbered & Bulleted Lists in LaTeX (enumitem)
Make lists in LaTeX with the itemize and enumerate environments; use the enumitem package to customize labels, spacing, and numbering. Copy-paste examples inside.
Make lists in LaTeX with three built-in environments — itemize (bullets), enumerate (numbers), and description (labeled) — and use the enumitem package to control labels, spacing, and numbering. The built-ins cover the basics; enumitem handles every customization cleanly, replacing the old, fiddly length-register tweaks. Here's the full toolkit.
1. The three list types
\begin{itemize}
\item Bulleted point
\item Another point
\end{itemize}
\begin{enumerate}
\item First (numbered)
\item Second
\end{enumerate}
\begin{description}
\item[Term] Its definition.
\end{description}
Lists nest automatically — an itemize inside an itemize switches to a sub-bullet.
2. Tighten the spacing
\usepackage{enumitem}
...
\begin{itemize}[noitemsep] % no gap between items
\begin{itemize}[nosep] % no gaps at all
\begin{itemize}[itemsep=2pt, topsep=4pt] % custom
enumitem spacing options work on all three list types — handy for a dense resume.
3. Customize labels
| Want | enumitem option |
|---|---|
| (a), (b), (c) | [label=(\alph*)] |
| i., ii., iii. | [label=\roman*.] |
| 1), 2), 3) | [label=\arabic*)] |
| A. B. C. | [label=\Alph*.] |
| Custom bullet | [label=$\star$] |
\begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)]
\item appears as (a)
\item appears as (b)
\end{enumerate}
4. Continue a list after text
\begin{enumerate}
\item First
\end{enumerate}
Some explanation here.
\begin{enumerate}[resume]
\item Continues as 2
\end{enumerate}
The resume option keeps a single sequence across interrupting paragraphs.
5. Inline lists
For a list inside a sentence, enumitem's \begin{enumerate*}[label=(\arabic*)] runs items inline: (1) this (2) that. Lists appear everywhere — in Beamer slides (with overlays) and in papers. Color list labels with xcolor.
→ Build and style lists with instant preview in LetX.
Written by Shihab Shahriar Antor — AI Engineer & Founder of Shahriar Labs, maker of LetX.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reduce the vertical spacing in a LaTeX list?
Load the enumitem package and pass spacing options to the environment: \begin{itemize}[noitemsep] removes space between items, and [nosep] removes space both between items and around the list. For a custom gap use [itemsep=2pt, topsep=4pt]. enumitem replaces the older, fiddly approach of redefining length registers, and applies cleanly to itemize, enumerate, and description lists alike.
How do I change the bullet or numbering style?
With enumitem, set the label key: \begin{itemize}[label=\textbullet] or [label=$\bullet$] for bullets, and \begin{enumerate}[label=(\alph*)] for (a), (b), (c), or [label=\roman*.] for i., ii., iii. The starred forms \arabic*, \alph*, \roman*, and \Alph* insert the current counter in your chosen format. This is far easier than the traditional \renewcommand of \labelitemi and friends.
How do I continue a numbered list after interrupting it with text?
Use enumitem's resume option: start the second list with \begin{enumerate}[resume] and it continues from where the first left off instead of restarting at 1. For more control across distant lists, use a named series: [series=mylist] on the first and [resume=mylist] on later ones. This keeps a single logical sequence even when paragraphs of explanation sit between the list segments.