CSV

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

CSV
Stands forComma-separated values
Meanings2
CategoriesTechnology & Computing, Business & Finance

CSV has two meanings. It stands for Comma-separated values (file format) or Cash surrender value (insurance).

Meanings of CSV at a glance

#CSV stands forContext
1Comma-separated valuesTechnology & Computing › File Format
2Cash surrender valueBusiness & Finance › Insurance

1. Comma-separated values

Technology & Computing · File Format Abbreviations

Plain-text format for tables in which each line is a row and commas separate the columns. Almost every spreadsheet, database, bank and analytics tool can import and export it, making it a universal format for exchanging data.

Example: Export your contacts as a CSV and import them into the new email service.

RFC 4180 (2005) documented common conventions, but many variants exist; in countries that use commas as decimal separators, Excel often writes semicolons instead. Opening CSVs in Excel can silently alter data, stripping leading zeros from ZIP codes and turning text into dates; in 2020 the HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee renamed some human genes, such as SEPT1 and MARCH1, partly for this reason. Formulas hidden in CSV files can also be a security risk.

2. Cash surrender value

Business & Finance · Insurance Abbreviations

Amount a policyholder receives if they cancel a permanent life insurance policy or annuity, equal to the cash value minus any surrender charges and outstanding loans.

Example: The CSV after year three was less than half of what we had paid in premiums.

Gains above the premiums paid are taxable when a policy is surrendered. In computing, CSV means comma-separated values.

More file format abbreviations

  • CDA – CD Audio track file
  • codec – Coder-decoder
  • CR2 – Canon Raw version 2
  • CR3 – Canon Raw version 3
  • DAT – Data file
  • DEB – Debian package
  • DMG – Apple Disk Image
  • DNG – Digital Negative

See all 125 file format abbreviations →

More insurance abbreviations

  • COLL – Collision coverage
  • COMP – Comprehensive coverage
  • CPI – Collateral protection insurance
  • CSL – Combined single limit
  • CTP – Compulsory third party insurance
  • D&O – Directors and officers liability insurance
  • DOI – Department of insurance
  • DOL – Date of loss

See all 86 insurance abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.