Abbreviation! Acronyms! Following is a full list of important abbreviations and acronyms in English you should learn to expand your vocabulary.
Abbreviations vs Acronyms
Abbreviation and Acronym are similar to each other as they both are short forms of longer words; however, they are two different parts of the English language.
An abbreviation is a shortened version of one or two words which are still pronounced the same way, even if they are written as an abbreviation.
An acronym, on the other hand, is a shortened version of the phrase that is most often the name of something. They are pronounced as their short forms rather than their actual full form.
NATO is pronounced NAY-TOE and not as North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Acronyms are also pronounced by the individual alphabet like with U.N, FBI, etc.
Abbreviation List
Latin Abbreviation
| Abbreviations | Full Form | Meaning | Use |
| A.D | Anno Domini | In the year of our Lord | Used to show years after the birth of Jesus Christ -1600 A.D |
| a.m | Ante Meridian | Before midday | Used for the hours after midnight and before noon – 10a.m, 2a.m |
| c. / ca. | Circa | Approximately | Used for years/months when not sure of exact date – ca. 1500 |
| C.V | Curriculum Vitae | Course of Life | A document summarizing a person’s education and experience. |
| e.g. | Exempli gratia | For example | To give an example or instance of something – different cities, e.g. New York, Delhi, Beijing etc. |
| Et al. | Et Alii | And others | Used to show that there are more names that are unmentioned on a list – Tom, Jane, Jack et al. |
| Etc. | Et cetera | And other things | Used to signify similar things that are unmentioned on a list – milk, cheese, yogurt etc. |
| i.e. | Id est | In other words / That is | Used in sentences to rephrase or show a connection between clauses – Jack, i.e. the most popular senior, likes Beth. |
| p.a | Per Annum | Through the year | Used to show something in the manner of ‘yearly’ – He earns 2 million dollars p.a. |
| p.m | Post meridian | After midday | Used to show the hours after midday and before midnight – 10 p.m, 2p.m |
| P.S | Post Scriptum | Something written after the main text was finished. | Used mainly in letters to add something extra after the signoff – Yours Shirley,
P.S – I’ll be in Canada for 2 weeks. |
| R.I.P | Requiescat in pace | May he/she rest in peace | Used as a prayer for someone who has died – May Janet R.I.P. |
| Stat | Statim | Immediately | Used most often in the medical fields – This man needs a bypass stat. |
Abbreviations Related to Names
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Use |
| Dr. | Doctor | Dr. Smith was also invited. |
| Gen. | General (army) | Gen. Luke ordered them to fire at the enemy. |
| Hon. | Honorable | Hon. James Smith gave away the prizes. |
| Mr. | Mister | Mr. Hall is in office at the moment. |
| Mrs. | Mistress | Mrs. Hall is waiting for her car. |
| Ms. | Miss | Ms. Jane Watson is here to see you. |
| Prof. | Professor | Prof. Jain is a popular faculty in college. |
| Rev. | Reverend (clergyman) | Rev. Jones blessed the house today. |
| Sr. / Jr. | Senior / Junior | Bates Sr. and Harry Bates Jr. were inspecting the grounds. |
| St. | Saint | St. Patrick is one of the most popular Irish saints. |
General Abbreviations
| Abbreviations | Meaning | Use |
| Assn. | Association | They named their club; Assn. of Low and Highs. |
| Ave. | Avenue | They said they would be waiting at Lexington Ave. |
| Dept. | Department | The Arts Dept. is holding a bake sale. |
| Est. | Established | Annabel’s est. 1963 in London, England. |
| Fig. | Figure | Look to fig. 8 to see how the process takes place. |
| Hrs. | Hours | We will reach the next camp at 1500hrs. |
| Inc. | Incorporated | Apple Inc. was founded in the 1970s by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. |
| Mt. | Mount | Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on earth. |
| No. | Number | The address is House no. 64, Mulberry Lane. |
| Oz. | Ounces | The recipe needs 34 oz. of honey. |
| Sq. | Square | The rent is 100 dollar per sq. inch. |
| St. | Street | The shop is located at Xyza St. near the intersection. |
| Vs | Versus | The final match is going to be Australia vs. India. |
Abbreviations of Grammar
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
| Abbr. | Abbreviation / Abbreviated |
| Adj. | Adjective |
| Adv. | Adverb |
| Obj. | Objective |
| Pl. | Plural |
| Poss. | Possessive |
| Prep. | Preposition |
| Pron. | Pronoun |
| Pseud. | Pseudonym |
| Sing. | Singular |
| Syn. | Synonym |
| Trans. | Translation |
| V. / Vb. | Verb |
Acronym List
General Acronyms
| Acronym | Full Form | What It Is |
| ATM | Automated Teller Machine | A computerised cash dispenser |
| BPO | Business Process Outsourcing | The outsourcing of specific functions of a business to a third party. |
| CAT | Common Admission Test | An ability based admission test conducted by the Indian Institute of Management. |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic Acid | The molecule in any living being that contains all the genetic data of the living being. |
| DVD | Digital Versatile Disk | A compact optical storage disk, used for storing videos and other information. |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions | A common section in most sites containing common queries from the visitors. |
| HR | Human Resources | The workforce of any organisation can also refer to the department that is in charge of human resources. |
| LCD | Liquid Crystal Display | A type of video display panel |
| LED | Light Emitting Diode | A glowing light source used in indicators. |
| PC | Personal Computer | A computer whose size, price and capabilities are useful for individual use. |
| RAM | Random Access Memory | A way/disk to store data on a computer |
| SONAR | Sound Navigation And Ranging | A technique that uses echoes to navigate or communicate usually used in submarines. |
| USP | Unique Selling Proposition | A term used to show how one product or service is different and unique from another. |
| VIP | Very Important Person | A person who gets special privileges due to their status or importance. |
| WWW | World Wide Web | Interlinked web documents accessed by the internet |
Acronyms of Name
| Acronym | Full Form | What It Is |
| AIDS | Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome | A disease of the immune system caused by the HIV. |
| ASEAN | Association of Southeast Asian Nations | A political and economic organisation based on geographical location. |
| CERN | Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire – European Organization for Nuclear Research | An international organisation that operates the largest particle physics laboratory |
| FIFA | Federation Internationale de Football Association | Organisation in charge of international association football. |
| InterPol | International Criminal Police Organization. | An international organisation helping police cooperation across countries. |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | An American government agency handling space research. |
| NASCAR | National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. | A family owned business sanctioning auto-racing events. |
| SARS | Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome | A respiratory disease in humans which is fatal. |
| UN | United Nations | An international organisation for inter-country cooperation. |
| UNICEF | United Nations Children’s Education Fund | A UN program that provides humanitarian help to children. |
| YMCA | Young Men’s Christian Association | A worldwide association that helps to put Christian principles into action. |
| HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus | The virus that causes AIDS. |
Acronyms of Education
| Acronym | Full Form |
| B.A | Bachelor of Arts |
| B.Sc | Bachelor of Science |
| M.A | Master of Arts |
| M.B.A | Master of Business Administration |
| MBBS | Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae – Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery |
| MD | Medicinae Doctor – Doctor of Medicine |
| PhD | Philosophiae Doctor – Doctorate of Philosophy |
Abbreviations & Acronyms | Image
Avery
Tuesday 18th of January 2022
Ted Emmer, what do you mean?
Alex
Saturday 23rd of January 2021
Mrs. is not mistress an if you call her that you might get slapped.
MOHAMMED BILAL
Tuesday 12th of January 2021
MRP
Alexi Rivera
Sunday 1st of November 2020
nice its good
Ted Emmer
Monday 29th of July 2019
I strongly disagree with the meaning of the acronym, 'NASA'. Officially it stands for; National Aeronautics and Space Administration But reality suggests a very different meaning indeed, and it works much better for me that way, because it says exactly what its function is, unmistakably; (N)ever (A) (S)traight (A)nswer.
Jan
Wednesday 8th of January 2020
Ted what are you saying then?