BIC

Abbreviation with 4 meanings

BIC
Stands forBusiness Identifier Code
Meanings4
CategoriesBusiness & Finance, Organizations & Companies, Units & Measurements, Medical

BIC has four meanings. The most common are Business Identifier Code (banking) and Société BIC (company and brand); it can also stand for Bayesian information criterion and Bictegravir.

Meanings of BIC at a glance

#BIC stands forContext
1Business Identifier CodeBusiness & Finance › Banking
2Société BICOrganizations & Companies › Company and Brand
3Bayesian information criterionUnits & Measurements › Statistics
4BictegravirMedical › Drug

1. Business Identifier Code

Business & Finance · Banking Abbreviations

Eight- or eleven-character code, defined by ISO 9362 and issued by SWIFT, that identifies a bank or other institution in international transfers. It consists of a four-letter institution code, a two-letter country code, a two-character location code and an optional three-character branch code.

Example: Deutsche Bank's BIC, DEUTDEFF, identifies its head office in Frankfurt.

Commonly called a SWIFT code or SWIFT BIC. The name originally stood for Bank Identifier Code and was changed to Business Identifier Code because non-bank organizations also receive them. Within the euro area, SEPA transfers generally need only the IBAN.

2. Société BIC

Organizations & Companies · Company and Brand Abbreviations

French maker of disposable ballpoint pens, lighters and shavers, sold in about 160 countries. Headquartered in Clichy, near Paris.

Example: Grab a BIC from the cup by the register to sign the receipt.

Founded in 1945 by Marcel Bich and Edouard Buffard; the brand name shortens Bich's surname, partly so that it would be easy to say in English. The BIC Cristal pen (1950) is one of the best-selling pens in history. The orange-headed "BIC Boy" logo dates from 1961.

3. Bayesian information criterion

Units & Measurements · Statistics Abbreviations

A model-selection criterion similar to AIC but with a heavier penalty for extra parameters, BIC = k ln(n) − 2 ln(L). It tends to favor simpler models, especially in large samples.

Example: BIC favored the two-class mixture model over the three-class one.

Introduced by Gideon Schwarz in 1978, it is also called the Schwarz criterion. BIC approximates Bayesian model comparison and is consistent, picking the true model as n grows if it is among the candidates. Latent class and mixture analyses commonly report both AIC and BIC.

4. Bictegravir

Medical · Drug Abbreviations

Integrase inhibitor available only as part of the single-tablet regimen bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (Biktarvy), approved in the US in 2018 and one of the most prescribed HIV treatments.

Example: Rapid start: BIC/FTC/TAF given same day as HIV diagnosis.

Biktarvy is recommended as an initial regimen for most adults in US guidelines and is often used for "rapid ART" started at diagnosis. Like other integrase inhibitors, bictegravir binds metal ions, so antacids and supplements are separated from doses. BIC in finance stands for Bank Identifier Code.

More banking abbreviations

  • ATM – Automated teller machine
  • BACS – Bankers' Automated Clearing Services
  • BG – Bank guarantee
  • BHC – Bank holding company
  • BIN – Bank identification number
  • BSA – Bank Secrecy Act
  • BSB – Bank-State-Branch
  • CAR – Capital adequacy ratio

See all 80 banking abbreviations →

More company and brand abbreviations

  • BBVA – Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
  • BCG – Boston Consulting Group
  • BDO – Binder Dijker Otte
  • BHP – Broken Hill Proprietary Company
  • BK – Burger King
  • BMO – Bank of Montreal
  • BMS – Bristol Myers Squibb
  • BMW – Bayerische Motoren Werke

See all 116 company and brand abbreviations →

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.