# Itemize without bullets

I want to use the itemize environment exactly as it works by default, but hide the bullets that would otherwise appear.

Is there an easy way to do this?

You can do this in several ways: for example, by using an empty optional argument for \item (as Jake suggested), or by using the enumitem package to use an empty label, or by redefining \labelitemi; these approaches are illustrated in the following example:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{enumitem}

\begin{document}

\begin{itemize}
\item[] First.
\item[] Second.
\end{itemize}

\begin{itemize}[label={}]
\item First.
\item Second.
\end{itemize}

{\renewcommand\labelitemi{}
\begin{itemize}
\item First.
\item Second.
\end{itemize}
}

\end{document}


• \begin{itemize}[label={}] doesn't work; \begin{itemize}[\label{}] does! – PLG Feb 11 '14 at 10:27
• @PLG Sure? \begin{itemize}[\label{}] will trigger an error; on the other hand, label={} as an option to the environment (having loaded enumitem), suppresses the label, as required. – Gonzalo Medina Feb 11 '14 at 12:18
• Using the MacTex environment, [label={}] produces label= as bullet symbol. Both [\label{}] and [\label={}] seem to produce the empty bullet symbol. – PLG Feb 12 '14 at 16:21
• @PLG Can you please upload elsewhere (and provide a link in your next reply) a simple document producing the result you mention? – Gonzalo Medina Feb 12 '14 at 17:10
• Using the mirrors.ctan.org/macros/latex/contrib/biblatex-contrib/… template and \begin{itemize}[label={}] \item First. \item Second. \end{itemize} Results in an error. Using ftp.springer.de/pub/tex/latex/llncs/latex2e/llncs2e.zip results in the label= that I described above. Perhaps it is the class files, but then it would be good to have some clarification of what is going on. Thanks in advance for your effort! =) – PLG Feb 14 '14 at 11:17

Why do you want to use the itemize environment, if you don't want the bullets? You could simply use the description environment which seems to be exactly what you need. No hacking required.

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}
\begin{description}
\item Foo
\item Bar
\end{description}
\end{document}

• The description environment introduces significantly more whitespace in front of each item though – zakkak Feb 15 '18 at 8:28
• @zakkak Agreed. This needs as much customisation as just customising the itemize environment. – LondonRob Feb 23 '18 at 13:01
• This is imho the best answer, because if you don't have bullet points its not an enumeration but actually a description, imho. – problemofficer Nov 13 '18 at 3:00
• With the enumitem package you can customize this solution for any whitespace to be exactly as you wish. – caw Jul 17 '19 at 16:20

The following also works. The {} specifies that nothing should be placed before the items. Use \indent as needed.

\usepackage{enumerate}

\begin{document}

\begin{enumerate}[\indent {}]
\item ABC
\item ABC
\item ABC
\end{enumerate}

\end{document}

• This doesn't appear to work. Does it require a particular package? – jvriesem Dec 14 '18 at 18:14

Just use \null

\begin{itemize}[\null]
\item First
\item Second
\end{itemize}

• Are you using any packages that provides this interface? Also, why use \null when you can use \relax or {} or ... ? – Werner Oct 5 '16 at 0:15
• Welcome to TeX.SX! I also recommend a minimal working example (MWE) for answers. Then it is easier to reproduce the result and the MWE shows the needed package(s). – Heiko Oberdiek Oct 5 '16 at 0:31
• You need to \usepackage{enumitem} as mentioned in the previous answer. – Hamza Abbad Apr 25 '17 at 14:09

For those looking for an alternative solution: basically, you can pass anything in square brackets \begin{itemize}[...]

\begin{itemize}[x]
\item First
\item Second
\end{itemize}
\begin{itemize}[  y]
\item First
\item Second
\end{itemize}

\hspace{10pt}, \quad, etc. commands can be used to add indentation.