On the <dl>

# On the <dl> Source: [https://simonwillison.net/2026/May/23/on-the-dl/](https://simonwillison.net/2026/May/23/on-the-dl/) 23rd May 2026 \- Link Blog **[On the <dl\>](https://benmyers.dev/blog/on-the-dl/)**\([via](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48247325)\) I learned a few new\-to\-me things about the`<dl\>`element from this article by Ben Meyer: 1. A`<dt\>`can be followed by*multiple*`<dd\>` 2. You can optionally group the`<dt\>`and`<dd\>`elements in a`<div\>`for styling \- but only a`<div\>`\. 3. You can label them using ARIA\. 4. They've been called "description lists", not "definition lists", since[an HTML5 draft in 2008](https://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-html5-20080122/#the-dl)\. So this is valid: ``` <h2 id="credits">Credits</h2> <dl aria-labelledby="credits"> <div> <dt>Author</dt> <dd>Jeffrey Zeldman</dd> <dd>Ethan Marcotte</dd> </div> </dl> ``` Here's a useful note from Adrian Roselli on[screen reader support for description lists](https://adrianroselli.com/2025/01/updated-brief-note-on-description-list-support.html)\.