About AbbreviationList

AbbreviationList is an independent, free dictionary of English abbreviations. Its goal is simple: when you meet an unfamiliar abbreviation — on a prescription label, in a contract, in a text message or on a road sign — you should be able to find out what it means, in which context, and how to use it correctly.

How entries are organized

Each abbreviation has one page at a short, predictable address such as abbreviationlist.com/prn/. Different spellings that differ only in capitalization or punctuation (BID, b.i.d., bid) share the same page. Because many abbreviations have several meanings, every page lists all the meanings in the dictionary, ordered from the most widely used to the most specialized, and labels each with its field so you can tell them apart.

Every meaning includes the full form, a definition that explains what the term actually refers to, an example sentence showing it in realistic use and, where useful, notes on origin, spelling variants, style rules and common confusions. Abbreviations are also grouped into 185 topic lists, such as US state abbreviations and prescription abbreviations.

Editorial policy

• Accuracy first. Entries are written and checked against authoritative references, including USPS Publication 28 (postal and address abbreviations), ISO 3166 (country codes), ISO 4217 (currency codes), the SI Brochure of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, IUPAC nomenclature, The Joint Commission "Do Not Use" list and the ISMP List of Error-Prone Abbreviations, The Bluebook (legal citation), the AP Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style, and the official publications of the agencies, standards bodies and organizations that define each term.
• No invented entries. Only abbreviations in genuine use are included. Obscure or one-off coinages are left out rather than padded in.
• Context matters. Where a meaning is regional, specialist or discouraged (for example, medical abbreviations on safety “do not use” lists), the entry says so.
• Neutral tone. Political, religious and commercial terms are described factually, without endorsement.
• Family-friendly. Slang containing profanity is shown censored; sexually explicit slang is not included.

Medical and legal information

Medical and legal entries describe how abbreviations are used; they are not professional advice. Hospitals, pharmacies and courts may use local conventions, so confirm any abbreviation that affects treatment or legal rights with the person or institution that wrote it.

Editorial team

AbbreviationList is written and edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. The team researches each abbreviation, writes the definitions, examples and usage notes, checks them against the references above, and reviews entries when standards, laws or official names change.

Corrections and suggestions

Language changes and standards are revised. If you spot an error, an outdated fact or a missing meaning, email [email protected] with the page address and, ideally, a source. Each page’s last update date is published in the site’s sitemap. See also the contact page.