PC
Abbreviation with 10 meanings
| Stands for | Personal computer |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 10 |
| Categories | Technology & Computing, Government & Politics, Medical, Science & Engineering, Business & Finance, Texting & Internet Slang |
| Also written | pc |
PC has ten meanings. The most common are Personal computer (computer) and Police constable (police); it can also stand for Probable cause, Post cibum (after meals), Parsec, Presenting complaint and Plaid Cymru, plus 3 more listed below.
Meanings of PC at a glance
| # | PC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Personal computer | Technology & Computing › Computer |
| 2 | Police constable | Government & Politics › Police |
| 3 | Probable cause | Government & Politics › Police |
| 4 | Post cibum (after meals) | Medical › Prescription |
| 5 | Parsec | Science & Engineering › Astronomy & Space |
| 6 | Presenting complaint | Medical › Medical Documentation |
| 7 | Plaid Cymru | Government & Politics › UK Government |
| 8 | Polycarbonate | Science & Engineering › Chemistry |
| 9 | Professional corporation | Business & Finance › Company Type |
| 10 | Player character | Texting & Internet Slang › Gaming Slang |
1. Personal computer
Technology & Computing · Computer Abbreviations
A general-purpose computer built for one user at a time, such as a desktop, laptop or all-in-one. In everyday speech "PC" often means a Windows machine as opposed to a Mac, even though Macs are personal computers too.
Example: My old PC still runs Windows 10, so I need to upgrade or replace it this year.
The term took hold after IBM launched the IBM Personal Computer (model 5150) on August 12, 1981; machines able to run the same software became "IBM PC compatibles". Time magazine named the personal computer its "Machine of the Year" for 1982. The plural is PCs, with no apostrophe. Outside computing, PC also means politically correct and police constable.
2. Police constable
Government & Politics · Police Abbreviations
Basic rank of police officer in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries, written before the officer's surname or number, as in "PC Smith" or "PC 1234." All British police officers hold the office of constable regardless of rank.
Example: PC Patel arrested the man on suspicion of burglary after a short foot chase.
The title dates back to medieval parish constables. Women officers were once styled WPC, a designation dropped by most forces in the late 1990s. Detectives of the same rank are detective constables (DC). Context separates it from probable cause in US policing and from personal computer.
3. Probable cause
Government & Politics · Police Abbreviations · also used in law
Legal standard in US criminal law requiring facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe a crime was committed and that a particular person committed it, or that evidence will be found in a place. Arrests and search warrants require probable cause under the Fourth Amendment.
Example: The officer had PC for the arrest after the clerk identified him and the stolen cards were in his pocket.
Probable cause is higher than the "reasonable suspicion" needed for a brief stop, set out in Terry v. Ohio (1968), but lower than the "beyond a reasonable doubt" needed to convict. Officers write the basis in a "PC affidavit" or "PC statement." In Britain, PC means police constable, an entirely different meaning.
4. Post cibum (after meals)
Medical · Prescription Abbreviations
Timing instruction meaning a drug is taken after eating, typically to reduce stomach upset or improve absorption of fat-soluble drugs. On glucose-monitoring orders, "2 h PC" means a reading taken two hours after a meal.
Example: Ibuprofen 400 mg PO TID PC; stop if black stools or stomach pain.
Latin "post cibum", "after food". Also written p.c. or pc. Do not confuse with "PCA" (patient-controlled analgesia) or the ward shorthand "pc" for "patient care". Pharmacy labels usually say "take with or after food", since in practice "with meals" and "after meals" are often interchangeable for tolerability.
5. Parsec (pc)
Science & Engineering · Astronomy & Space Abbreviations · also used in measurement
Astronomical unit of distance equal to about 3.26 light-years or 206,265 astronomical units. A star one parsec away shows a parallax angle of one arcsecond as Earth moves around the Sun; no star is that close, as Proxima Centauri lies about 1.3 pc away.
Example: Gaia measured the cluster's distance as 444 pc with an uncertainty of less than 1%.
The name blends "parallax" and "arcsecond" and was coined by British astronomer Herbert Hall Turner in 1913. Han Solo's boast in Star Wars of making the Kessel Run "in less than twelve parsecs" famously treats the unit as a measure of time. Larger multiples are kpc (kiloparsec), Mpc (megaparsec) and Gpc (gigaparsec).
6. Presenting complaint
Medical · Medical Documentation Abbreviations
British and Commonwealth heading for the main problem that brought the patient to medical attention, equivalent to the American chief complaint. It opens hospital clerking notes and GP letters.
Example: PC: 2-day history of productive cough and fever.
Followed by HOPI, the history of the presenting complaint. Elsewhere in medicine PC also means "post cibum" (after meals) on prescriptions and is used for personal computer in everyday English, so context matters. Some UK notes write C/O for the complaint instead.
7. Plaid Cymru
Government & Politics · UK Government Abbreviations
Welsh nationalist party, founded in 1925, that campaigns for Welsh independence and for the Welsh language. Its name means "Party of Wales". It competes in Senedd and Westminster elections.
Example: PC gained two seats in the valleys at the general election.
It won its first Westminster seat in 1966, and it entered coalition government in Wales with Labour from 2007 to 2011. In election tables it is abbreviated PC or Plaid. Elsewhere PC means personal computer, police constable or politically correct.
8. Polycarbonate
Science & Engineering · Chemistry Abbreviations · also used in technology
Clear, extremely impact-resistant thermoplastic used for eyeglass and safety lenses, bullet-resistant glazing, greenhouse panels, helmets, phone cases and electronics housings. Most polycarbonate is made from bisphenol A, which raised concerns about baby bottles and food containers.
Example: The machine guard is quarter-inch PC because acrylic would shatter on impact.
Bayer and General Electric developed commercial polycarbonate independently in the 1950s, under the brand names Makrolon and Lexan. It falls under resin code 7. Because it scratches easily, lenses and visors receive hard coatings. In everyday language PC far more often means personal computer.
9. Professional corporation
Business & Finance · Company Type Abbreviations
Corporation formed by licensed professionals, such as physicians, lawyers, dentists or accountants, under state laws that typically require all shareholders to hold the relevant license. It provides corporate structure while leaving each professional personally liable for their own malpractice.
Example: Medical records requests should be sent to Valley Orthopedics, P.C., Attn: Records Department.
Written PC or P.C. after the firm name; some states also accept "Prof. Corp." Canadian provinces allow professional corporations for doctors, lawyers and accountants, largely for tax planning. Outside company names, PC far more commonly means personal computer or "politically correct."
10. Player character
Texting & Internet Slang · Gaming Slang Abbreviations
Character controlled by a player in a role-playing game, as opposed to an NPC. Used mainly in tabletop RPGs and RPG design discussions.
Example: Each PC needs a backstory before our first session.
In everyday gaming talk PC far more often means personal computer, as in "PC gaming" versus console, so tabletop context signals this sense. Game masters say "PCs" when referring to the party.
Related abbreviations
More computer abbreviations
- OMR – Optical mark recognition
- OOBE – Out-of-box experience
- OS – Operating system
- OS/2 – Operating System/2
- PEBKAC – Problem exists between keyboard and chair
- PgDn – Page Down key
- PgUp – Page Up key
- PICNIC – Problem in chair, not in computer
See all 92 computer abbreviations →
More police abbreviations
- OUI – Operating under the influence
- OWI – Operating while intoxicated
- PACE – Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
- PBT – Preliminary breath test
- PCSO – Police community support officer
- PD – Police department
- PIT – Precision immobilization technique
- PO – Parole officer
See all 84 police abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.