| Macro Name | Initial Value | Break? Reset? | Explanation |
| .AB x | - | y | begin abstract; if x=no do not label abstract |
| .AE | - | y | end abstract |
| .AI | - | y | author's institution |
| .AM | - | n | better accent mark definitions |
| .AU | - | y | author's name |
| .B x | - | n | embolden x; if no x, switch to boldface |
| .B1 | - | y | begin text to be enclosed in a box |
| .B2 | - | y | end boxed text and print it |
| .BT | date | n | bottom title, printed at foot of page |
| .BX x | - | n | print word x in a box |
| .CM | if t | n | cut mark between pages |
| .CT | - | y,y | chapter title: page number moved to CF (TM only) |
| .DA x | if n | n | force date x at bottom of page; today if no x |
| .DEtblbr | - | y | end display (unfilled text) of any kind |
| .DS x y | I | y | begin display with keep; x=I,L,C,B; y=indent |
| .ID y | 8n,.5i | y | indented display with no keep; y=indent |
| .LD | - | y | left display with no keep |
| .CD | - | y | centered display with no keep |
| .BD | - | y | block display; center entire block |
| .EF x | - | n | even page footer x (3 part as for .tl) |
| .EH x | - | n | even page header x (3 part as for .tl) |
| .EN | - | y | end displayed equation produced by eqn |
| .EQ x y | - | y | break out equation; x=L,I,C; y=equation number |
| .FEtblbr | - | n | end footnote to be placed at bottom of page |
| .FP | - | n | numbered footnote paragraph; may be redefined |
| .FS x | - | n | start footnote; x is optional footnote label |
| .HD | undef | n | optional page header below header margin |
| .I x | - | n | italicize x; if no x, switch to italics |
| .IP x y | - | y,y | indented paragraph, with hanging tag x; y=indent |
| .IX x y | - | y | index words x y and so on (up to 5 levels) |
| .KE | - | n | end keep of any kind |
| .KF | - | n | begin floating keep; text fills remainder of page |
| .KS | - | y | begin keep; unit kept together on a single page |
| .LG | - | n | larger; increase point size by 2 |
| .LPtblbr | - | y,y | left (block) paragraph. |
| .MC x | - | y,y | multiple columns; x=column width |
| .ND x | if t | n | no date in page footer; x is date on cover |
| .NH x y | - | y,y | numbered header; x=level, x=0 resets, x=S sets to y |
| .NL | 10p | n | set point size back to normal |
| .OF x | - | n | odd page footer x (3 part as for .tl) |
| .OH x | - | n | odd page header x (3 part as for .tl) |
| .P1 | if TM | n | print header on first page |
| .PP | - | y,y | paragraph with first line indented |
| .PT | - % - | n | page title, printed at head of page |
| .PX x | - | y | print index (table of contents); x=no suppresses title |
| .QP | - | y,y | quote paragraph (indented and shorter) |
| .R | on | n | return to Roman font |
| .REtblbr | 5n | y,y | retreat: end level of relative indentation |
| .RP x | - | n | released paper format; x=no stops title on first page |
| .RS | 5n | y,y | right shift: start level of relative indentation |
| .SH | - | y,y | section header, in boldface |
| .SM | - | n | smaller; decrease point size by 2 |
| .TA | 8n,5n | n | set TAB characters to 8n 16n ... (nroff) or 5n 10n ... (troff) |
| .TC x | - | y | print table of contents at end; x=no suppresses title |
| .TE | - | y | end of table processed by tbl |
| .THtblbr | - | y | end multi-page header of table |
| .TL | - | y | title in boldface and two points larger |
| .TM | off | n | UC Berkeley thesis mode |
| .TS x | - | y,y | begin table; if x=H table has multi-page header |
| .UL x | - | n | underline x, even in troff |
| .UX x | - | n | UNIX; trademark message first time; x appended |
| .XA x y | - | y | another index entry; x=page or no for none; y=indent |
| .XE | - | y | end index entry (or series of .IX entries) |
| .XP | - | y,y | paragraph with first line indented, others indented |
| .XS x y | - | y | begin index entry; x=page or no for none; y=indent |
| .1C | on | y,y | one column format, on a new page |
| .2C | - | y,y | begin two column format |
| .]- | - | n | beginning of refer reference |
| .[0 | - | n | end of unclassifiable type of reference |
| .[N | - | n | N= 1:journal-article, 2:book, 3:book-article, 4:report |