Which CSS property defines how text should be handled when it extends beyond its allotted area?

• A. white-space
• B. text-overflow
• C. overflow
• D. word-wrap

Answer: (B)

Handling overflowed text centers on how the visible portion is presented when content doesn’t fit its container. The text-overflow property defines what should happen to the part of the text that extends beyond the available width, such as showing an ellipsis at the end instead of a plain cut-off. This effect is typically used on a single-line block with a fixed width, where you also prevent wrapping (white-space: nowrap) and clip the overflowing content (overflow: hidden). In practice, you’d see something like text-overflow: ellipsis to signal to users that more text exists beyond what’s visible.

Other properties govern different aspects: overflow decides whether the overflowing content is clipped or scrollable, white-space controls whether text wraps or stays on one line, and word-wrap (word-break) determines how long words or strings are broken to fit. Text-overflow is the one that specifies the visual treatment of the overflowed text itself.