NU
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | Nunavut |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Geography & Places, Education & Academia |
NU has three meanings. The most common are Nunavut (Canadian province and territory) and Northwestern University (university); it can also stand for Niue.
Meanings of NU at a glance
| # | NU stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nunavut | Geography & Places › Canadian Province and Territory |
| 2 | Northwestern University | Education & Academia › University |
| 3 | Niue | Geography & Places › Country Code |
1. Nunavut
Geography & Places · Canadian Province and Territory Abbreviations
Canada's newest and largest territory, created on April 1, 1999, from the eastern Northwest Territories as a homeland for Inuit, who make up most of its roughly 40,000 residents. Iqaluit is the capital, and Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun are official languages alongside English and French.
Example: Air freight to Iqaluit NU X0A 0H0 is charged by volume as well as weight.
Canadian news style guides generally spell out Nunavut, and there is no established traditional abbreviation. Postal codes start with X0A, X0B or X0C. NU is also the ISO code for Niue, whose .nu domain is popular in Sweden because nu means now.
2. Northwestern University
Education & Academia · University Abbreviations
Private research university in Evanston, Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan, founded in 1851. It is known for the Medill School of Journalism, Kellogg School of Management and Feinberg School of Medicine, and it is one of two private members of the Big Ten, along with USC.
Example: After graduating from NU's Medill school, she joined the Chicago Tribune.
NU is also used by Northeastern University and other schools, though Northeastern often writes NEU. Northwestern's theater and communication programs have produced many actors. The university's colors are purple and white, and its teams are the Wildcats.
3. Niue
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Self-governing Pacific island in free association with New Zealand, with Alofi as its capital and about 1,700 residents. Its .nu domain is hugely popular in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands because nu means now in those languages.
Example: Swedish news sites on .nu earn fees for the registry that manages Niue's NU domain.
Niue has fought a long dispute with the foundation that controls .nu over revenue. In Canada NU is Nunavut. The alpha-3 code is NIU.
Related abbreviations
More Canadian province and territory abbreviations
- Nfld. – Newfoundland
- NL – Newfoundland and Labrador
- NS – Nova Scotia
- NT – Northwest Territories
- NWT – Northwest Territories
- ON – Ontario
- Ont. – Ontario
- PE – Prince Edward Island
See all 26 Canadian province and territory abbreviations →