D3

Abbreviation with 2 meanings

D3
Stands forDivision III (NCAA)
Meanings2
CategoriesSports, Medical

D3 has two meanings. It stands for Division III (NCAA) (sports league and organization) or Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) (drug).

Meanings of D3 at a glance

#D3 stands forContext
1Division III (NCAA)Sports › Sports League and Organization
2Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)Medical › Drug

1. Division III (NCAA)

Sports · Sports League and Organization Abbreviations

Largest NCAA division by membership, with more than 430 schools, many of them small private colleges. Division III schools may not award athletic scholarships, so athletes receive only academic or need-based financial aid.

Example: Playing D3 soccer let him study engineering without the time demands of a scholarship program.

Also written "Division 3", "DIII" or "D-III". The division stresses shorter seasons and limited off-season practice so that athletics fit around academics. Members include MIT, the University of Chicago, Williams College and Johns Hopkins, which plays only men's and women's lacrosse at the Division I level.

2. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol)

Medical · Drug Abbreviations

Form of vitamin D made in the skin by sunlight and sold as supplements, usually in doses of 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily or larger weekly doses for deficiency. It is generally preferred over vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol).

Example: Vitamin D 25-OH level 14: start D3 2,000 IU daily, recheck in 3 months.

Prescription 50,000-unit capsules in the US are often ergocalciferol (D2), while most OTC products contain D3. Large trials such as VITAL (2018) found routine vitamin D supplementation did not prevent cancer or heart disease in people without deficiency. Excess intake can cause high calcium levels.

More sports league and organization abbreviations

  • CFL – Canadian Football League
  • CHL – Canadian Hockey League
  • D1 – Division I (NCAA)
  • D2 – Division II (NCAA)
  • ECHL – ECHL (formerly East Coast Hockey League)
  • EFL – English Football League
  • EPL – English Premier League
  • F1 – Formula One

See all 63 sports league and organization abbreviations →

More drug abbreviations

  • CPZ – Compazine (prochlorperazine)
  • CsA – Cyclosporine A
  • CTX – Cyclophosphamide
  • CYC – Cyclophosphamide
  • DDAVP – 1-deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (desmopressin)
  • DES – Diethylstilbestrol
  • dex – Dexamethasone
  • DHE – Dihydroergotamine

See all 170 drug abbreviations →

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

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