MSA
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Metropolitan Statistical Area |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Geography & Places, Law & Legal, Medical |
MSA has five meanings. The most common are Metropolitan Statistical Area (region) and Master services agreement (contract); it can also stand for Multiple system atrophy, Marital settlement agreement and Master Settlement Agreement.
Meanings of MSA at a glance
| # | MSA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metropolitan Statistical Area | Geography & Places › Region |
| 2 | Master services agreement | Law & Legal › Contract |
| 3 | Multiple system atrophy | Medical › Neurology |
| 4 | Marital settlement agreement | Law & Legal › Estate and Family Law |
| 5 | Master Settlement Agreement | Law & Legal › Litigation |
1. Metropolitan Statistical Area
Geography & Places · Region Abbreviations
US statistical region defined by the Office of Management and Budget around an urban core of at least 50,000 people plus surrounding counties with strong commuting ties. There are close to 400 MSAs.
Example: Home prices rose in 80 percent of MSAs last quarter.
MSAs are used for federal statistics, housing data and marketing; the largest is New York–Newark–Jersey City. In Saudi Arabia and other countries MSA can also mean Modern Standard Arabic, the formal written language.
2. Master services agreement
Law & Legal · Contract Abbreviations
Framework contract setting the general legal terms, such as payment, confidentiality, warranties, indemnities, liability limits and dispute resolution, for an ongoing relationship under which multiple projects or orders will be placed. Individual work is then authorized through statements of work or order forms.
Example: Because the MSA was already signed, the new project only needed a two-page SOW.
Using an MSA avoids renegotiating legal terms for every engagement. Order-of-precedence clauses decide whether the MSA or a later SOW prevails on conflicting terms. Software vendors use similar "master subscription agreements". In family law MSA means marital settlement agreement, and in tobacco litigation it refers to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement.
3. Multiple system atrophy
Medical · Neurology Abbreviations
Rare, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by alpha-synuclein deposits in glial cells, combining autonomic failure (fainting from low blood pressure on standing, bladder problems, erectile dysfunction) with parkinsonism or cerebellar ataxia.
Example: Orthostatic hypotension, urinary retention and poorly levodopa-responsive parkinsonism: MSA-P.
Subtypes are MSA-P, with predominant parkinsonism, and MSA-C, with predominant cerebellar signs. Older names, now retired, include Shy-Drager syndrome, olivopontocerebellar atrophy and striatonigral degeneration. Stridor during sleep is a recognized and dangerous feature. Median survival is roughly 6 to 10 years after onset.
4. Marital settlement agreement
Law & Legal · Estate and Family Law Abbreviations
Contract between divorcing spouses resolving property division, debts, spousal support and often child custody and support, usually incorporated into the final divorce judgment. Courts review custody and child support terms for the child's best interests.
Example: The MSA gives her the house and him the retirement account, with no spousal support either way.
Also called a property settlement agreement (PSA) or separation agreement. Once incorporated into the judgment, its terms are enforceable as court orders. Property and support terms are hard to change later, while child-related terms remain modifiable. Dividing a retirement plan also requires a QDRO.
5. Master Settlement Agreement
Law & Legal · Litigation Abbreviations
1998 agreement between 46 states, the District of Columbia, five US territories and the largest tobacco companies settling state lawsuits to recover smoking-related health care costs. The companies agreed to make annual payments indefinitely and to restrict marketing, especially to young people.
Example: State budgets still count on MSA payments, though falling cigarette sales have reduced them.
Payments were projected at about $206 billion over the first 25 years. Mississippi, Florida, Texas and Minnesota had settled separately. The agreement banned cartoon characters in tobacco advertising and most billboards, and funded the foundation now called Truth Initiative. It is often cited as a model for the opioid settlements. In contracts, MSA usually means master services agreement.
Related abbreviations
More region abbreviations
- MEA – Middle East and Africa
- Med – Mediterranean
- MENA – Middle East and North Africa
- Mideast – Middle East
- NA – North America
- NCR – National Capital Region (Canada)
- NEO – Northeast Ohio
- NoCo – Northern Colorado
See all 60 region abbreviations →
More contract abbreviations
- MAE – Material adverse effect
- MNDA – Mutual nondisclosure agreement
- MOA – Memorandum of agreement
- MOU – Memorandum of understanding
- MTA – Material transfer agreement
- NCA – Noncompete agreement
- NDA – Nondisclosure agreement
- NTP – Notice to proceed
See all 57 contract abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.