FatalCommands & Packages
Missing \item in List
! LaTeX Error: Something's wrong--perhaps a missing \item.
What this error means
Text or content was placed directly inside an itemize, enumerate, or description environment without an \item command. Every piece of content inside a list must be introduced by \item.
Common causes
- Text placed inside the list body before the first \item
- A blank line or paragraph inside the list without a preceding \item
- Nested environment opened directly without starting with \item
How to fix it
Ensure every top-level item inside itemize, enumerate, or description is preceded by \item. If you need sub-lists, nest environments properly — each level still needs \item for each entry.
Code examples
Causes the error
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{itemize}
This text has no item marker.
\item Second item
\end{itemize}
\end{document}Fixed
\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
\begin{itemize}
\item First item
\item Second item
\end{itemize}
\end{document}Related errors
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