Everyday Abbreviations
82 abbreviations · part of Common Abbreviations
Everyday abbreviations turn up on price tags, forms, menus, invitations, road signs and quick notes: approx., incl., qty, w/, DOB, BYOB and many more. Most are informal and fine in notes, labels and casual writing, but style guides such as AP and Chicago recommend spelling the words out in formal prose. Several have more than one meaning (est., temp., b/w), so the surrounding context, such as a price tag versus a weather report, decides which is intended.
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A-OK | All OK (perfectly fine) | Means everything is in excellent working order or entirely satisfactory, an emphatic form of OK. |
| acct. | Account | Shortens "account" in banking, billing and customer-service contexts, as in "acct. no." or "checking acct." |
| ad | Advertisement | Clipped form of "advertisement," meaning a paid announcement promoting a product, service, event or cause in print, broadcast, online or outdoor media. |
| aka | Also known as | Introduces an alternative name, alias, nickname or stage name for a person, place or thing. |
| amt. | Amount | Shortens "amount" on invoices, checks, receipts, forms and bank statements, as in "amt. due" or "amt. paid." |
| ans. | Answer | Shortens "answer" in textbooks, worksheets, answer keys and notes, as in "Ans: 42." It often appears beside worked math problems. |
| approx. | Approximately | Indicates that a number, time or measurement is close to but not exactly as stated. |
| appt. | Appointment | Shortens "appointment" in calendars, reminder texts, medical portals and notes, as in "dentist appt. 3 p.m." |
| Ass'n | Association | Bluebook Table T6 abbreviation for "Association" in case names and citations, using an apostrophe in place of omitted letters. |
| asst. | Assorted | Signals a mixture of different colors, flavors, sizes or styles in one package or display, as in "asst. colors." Shoppers usually cannot choose which variety they… |
| avg | Average | Shorthand for average, usually the arithmetic mean: the sum of the values divided by their number. |
| b/c | Because | Informal shorthand for "because," common in handwritten notes, study guides, outlines, texting and quick emails. |
| b/w | Between | Informal shorthand for "between," used in notes, schedules, product listings and texts, as in "b/w 2 and 4 p.m." |
| BBQ | Barbecue | Slow cooking over low, indirect heat and wood smoke, and the foods and gatherings built around it, especially in the American South. |
| BLT | Bacon, lettuce and tomato (sandwich) | A sandwich of bacon, lettuce and tomato, usually on toasted bread with mayonnaise. |
| BOGO | Buy one, get one (free) | Describes a retail promotion in which buying one item earns a second free or at a discount, as in "BOGO 50% off." Grocery stores, pharmacies and clothing retailers use… |
| bros. | Brothers | Shortens "brothers," most familiar in company names such as Warner Bros. and in casual reference to siblings or close friends. |
| BYOB | Bring your own bottle | Indicates on invitations and restaurant signs that guests should bring their own alcoholic drinks, either because the host is not supplying them or because the… |
| cont'd | Continued | Indicates that text continues on another page, column or screen, or that a story resumes after a break. |
| ct. | Count | States the number of items in a package, such as "60 ct." vitamins or "100 ct." paper plates. |
| dept. | Department | Shortens "department" in addresses, organizational charts, letterheads and signs, as in "Dept. of Education" or "Sales Dept." It refers to a division of a government… |
| dist. | District | Shortens "district" in the names of school districts, congressional districts, courts and administrative areas, as in "School Dist. 12" or "Dist. |
| Div | Division | Large Army or Marine Corps formation of several brigades or regiments plus supporting units, usually 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers or Marines, commanded by a major general. |
| DIY | Do it yourself | Describes building, repairing, decorating or making things oneself instead of hiring a professional or buying a finished product. |
| DND | Do not disturb | Signals that a person does not want to be interrupted, from the door hangers used in hotels to phone and app settings that silence notifications. |
| DOB | Date of birth | Labels the field on forms, IDs, medical records and applications where a person's birth date is entered. |
| ea. | Each | Indicates that a stated price or quantity applies to every single item, as in "$4 ea." It is common on price tags, invoices and menus. |
| est. | Established | Precedes the year a business, organization or institution was founded, often printed on signs, logos and packaging, as in "Est. 1892." It signals heritage and longevity. |
| ex. | Example | Introduces a sample or illustration, as in "Ex: 555-0123" on forms or "Ex. 3" in textbooks. |
| excl. | Excluding | Indicates that an item or charge is not part of a stated price or total, as in "excl. |
| exp. | Expiration (date) | Introduces an expiration date on credit cards, coupons, food, medicine and documents, as in "Exp. 08/27." After that date the item is no longer valid or guaranteed. |
| FAQ | Frequently asked questions | A list of common questions and their answers about a product, service, website, policy or topic, written to save users and support staff time. |
| fdn. | Foundation | Shortens "foundation" in organization names, grant listings and donor lists, as in "Smith Family Fdn." |
| govt. | Government | Shortens "government" in headlines, notes, tables and informal writing, as in "govt. agencies." The variant gov't uses an apostrophe to show the missing letters. |
| HQ | Headquarters | Refers to the main office or command center of a company, organization, military unit or campaign. |
| ICE | In case of emergency | Labels an emergency contact stored in a mobile phone so that paramedics or police know whom to call if the owner is hurt. |
| ID | Identification | Refers to a document that proves who a person is, such as a driver's license, passport or national identity card, and more broadly to identification itself. |
| incl. | Including or included | Indicates that something is part of a total or comes with a purchase, as in "price incl. tax" or "batteries incl." It is common on price tags, menus, rental listings… |
| info | Information | Clipped form of "information," used in everyday speech, signs, websites and casual writing, as in "info desk" or "for more info." It is standard in informal contexts… |
| Inst. | Institute | Shortens "institute" in organization names, addresses and citations, as in "Mass. |
| intl. | International | Shortens "international" in names, headlines, tables and shipping labels, as in "Intl. |
| IOU | I owe you | A written or spoken acknowledgment of a debt, ranging from a casual note promising to repay a friend to an informal document recording a loan. |
| lic. | License | Shortens "license" in business listings, signs and forms, as in "Lic. #123456" for a contractor. |
| max | Maximum | The largest value in a set or attained by a function, written max{3, 7, 5} = 7 or max f(x). |
| Mgr | Manager | Written shorthand for manager in job titles, organization charts, email signatures, rosters and job postings, as in "Sr. |
| min | Minimum | The smallest value in a set or attained by a function, written min{4, 1, 9} = 1. |
| misc. | Miscellaneous | Labels a category for items that do not fit elsewhere, as in "misc. expenses" or a "Misc." folder. |
| natl. | National | Shortens "national" in names, headlines, tables and maps, as in "Natl. |
| No. | Number | Precedes a number to identify a position, rank, item or address, as in "No. 1 hit," "No. 10 Downing Street" or "Invoice No. 4471." The abbreviation comes from Latin… |
| NYE | New Year's Eve | Shorthand for December 31, the last evening of the year, used on event listings, social media and party invitations. |
| OJ | Orange juice | Common shorthand for orange juice, a breakfast staple in the United States. |
| OK | All correct (from the joke spelling "oll korrect") | Signals agreement, approval or that something is satisfactory or merely adequate, as in "That's OK" or "OK, let's go." It is among the most widely used words in the… |
| opp. | Opposite | Shortens "opposite" in directions, notes and dictionary entries, as in "opp. the station" or "opp. of hot." British addresses and directions use it often. |
| opt. | Optional | Marks a field, feature or item as not required, as in "Phone (opt.)" on forms or "opt. accessories" in catalogs. |
| PB&J | Peanut butter and jelly (sandwich) | A sandwich of peanut butter and jelly or jam on bread, a childhood lunchbox staple in the United States and Canada. |
| pcs | Pieces | Indicates a count of individual items in a package or set, as in "500 pcs puzzle" or "12 pcs per box." It appears on product labels, invoices and online listings. |
| pd. | Paid | Marks a bill, invoice or account entry as settled, often stamped or handwritten as "PD" with a date. |
| PDA | Public display of affection | Kissing, hugging, hand-holding or other physical affection shown in public, often mentioned disapprovingly, as in "too much PDA." Common in conversation, school rules… |
| pg. | Page | Informal abbreviation of "page," common in notes, texts, homework instructions and some printed guides, as in "see pg. 12." Formal citation styles use p. instead. |
| PIN | Personal identification number | Short secret numeric code, usually four to six digits, that cardholders enter to authorize ATM withdrawals and card payments, proving they are the legitimate user. |
| PJs | Pajamas | Informal word for pajamas, the loose clothes worn for sleeping or lounging. |
| pk | Pack | Gives a multipack or package size on product labels and in listings, as in "6 pk" of soda or "3 pk" socks. |
| pkg | Package | Ingredient lists use pkg for items called for by the commercial package rather than by measure, such as cream cheese, frozen spinach, yeast or gelatin. |
| POB | Place of birth | Labels the field on passports, visa applications, birth certificates and genealogical records where a person's birthplace is recorded, typically the city and country. |
| prev. | Previous | Shortens "previous" or "previously" in notes, navigation buttons, statements and tables, as in "prev. balance" or a "Prev" page link. |
| PSA | Public service announcement | A message broadcast or published to raise awareness or change behavior on an issue of public interest, such as safety, health or conservation, typically without… |
| Q&A | Question and answer | Describes a session, article or document organized as questions followed by answers, such as a post-lecture discussion, an interview format or a support guide. |
| qty | Quantity | Labels the number of units ordered, shipped or in stock on invoices, order forms, receipts, packing slips and shopping carts. |
| R&R | Rest and relaxation | Refers to time off for rest and recreation after work or stress, such as a vacation or a quiet weekend. |
| rec'd | Received | Notes that a payment, document or item has arrived, often with a date, as in "rec'd 4/2." It appears on stamps, logs, invoices and correspondence. |
| Reg. | Regular (price) | Shows an item's normal price next to a sale price on tags, flyers and websites, as in "Reg. $49.99, now $29.99." It lets shoppers see the discount. |
| soc. | Society | Shortens "society" in organization names, journal titles and citations, as in "Hist. |
| SOS | International Morse code distress signal | Serves as the internationally recognized distress signal, sent in Morse code as three dots, three dashes and three dots, and used figuratively for any urgent call for… |
| std. | Standard | Shortens "standard" in specifications, price lists and shipping options, as in "std. shipping" or "std. size." |
| temp. | Temperature | Shortens "temperature" in weather reports, recipes, medical charts and appliance displays, as in "high temp of 85" or "oven temp." |
| TLC | Tender loving care | Describes gentle, attentive care given to a person, animal or object that needs special attention, from a convalescing patient to a run-down house. |
| univ. | University | Shortens "university" in addresses, citations, tables and sports scores, as in "Ohio State Univ." It appears in directories, journal affiliations and mailing labels. |
| VIP | Very important person | Describes a person given special treatment because of status, fame or influence, such as a celebrity, official or major client, and by extension premium services such… |
| w/ | With | Charting shorthand for "with", used throughout nursing notes, orders and handoffs to save space. |
| w/o | Without | Charting shorthand for "without", used to record absent symptoms, unmet conditions or care given without a device or help. |
| Crossing | Appears on road signs and pavement markings to warn of a crossing, as in "PED XING" (pedestrian crossing), "DEER XING" or "RR XING" (railroad crossing). | |
| Xmas | Christmas | Common short form of Christmas used in advertising, cards, headlines and casual writing. |
More common abbreviations
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- Classified Ad Abbreviations (70)
- Email and Office Abbreviations (60)
- Genealogy Abbreviations (29)
- Given Name Abbreviations (19)
- Grammar and Dictionary Abbreviations (93)
- Latin Abbreviations (53)
- Mail and Postal Abbreviations (35)
- Proofreading and Correction Mark Abbreviations (29)
- Title and Honorific Abbreviations (54)