SAE
Abbreviation with 4 meanings
| Stands for | Society of Automotive Engineers (inch-size tools) |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 4 |
| Categories | Units & Measurements, Organizations & Companies, Writing & Everyday, Medical |
SAE has four meanings. The most common are Society of Automotive Engineers (inch-size tools) (US customary and imperial unit) and SAE International (professional association and labor union); it can also stand for Stamped addressed envelope and Serious adverse event.
Meanings of SAE at a glance
| # | SAE stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Society of Automotive Engineers (inch-size tools) | Units & Measurements › US Customary and Imperial Unit |
| 2 | SAE International | Organizations & Companies › Professional Association and Labor Union |
| 3 | Stamped addressed envelope | Writing & Everyday › Mail and Postal |
| 4 | Serious adverse event | Medical › Pharmacology |
1. Society of Automotive Engineers (inch-size tools)
Units & Measurements · US Customary and Imperial Unit Abbreviations
In hardware and tool sets, SAE labels fasteners, sockets and wrenches sized in fractions of an inch, as opposed to metric sizes in millimeters. A mechanic's "SAE and metric" socket set covers both systems.
Example: The bolts on older American trucks take SAE sockets, mostly 1/2 and 9/16 inch.
The term borrows the name of SAE International, the standards body, though inch tool sizes are not strictly an SAE invention; American mechanics use it as a synonym for US customary. The same initials appear on motor oil viscosity grades such as SAE 5W-30, defined in the SAE J300 standard.
2. SAE International
Organizations & Companies · Professional Association and Labor Union Abbreviations
Global association of engineers and technical experts in automotive, aerospace and commercial vehicle industries that develops standards, including the motor oil viscosity grades and the six levels of driving automation used to describe self-driving cars.
Example: Use an SAE 5W-30 oil, as recommended in the owner's manual.
Founded in 1905 as the Society of Automotive Engineers, with Henry Ford among its early members, it now uses only the name SAE International. Its J3016 standard defines automation Levels 0 to 5.
3. Stamped addressed envelope
Writing & Everyday · Mail and Postal Abbreviations
British, Irish and Commonwealth term for an envelope addressed to the sender and stamped, enclosed so the recipient can reply. It is the counterpart of the American SASE.
Example: Please enclose an SAE if you would like your photographs returned.
SAE is sometimes expanded as "self-addressed envelope," which may not include postage. UK competitions, clubs and societies once routinely asked for one, though online processes have reduced the practice. In engineering, SAE refers to the Society of Automotive Engineers, as in SAE motor-oil grades.
4. Serious adverse event
Medical · Pharmacology Abbreviations
Adverse event that results in death, is life-threatening, requires or prolongs hospitalization, causes significant disability, causes a birth defect or is another important medical event. SAEs trigger expedited reporting in clinical trials.
Example: The SAE form went to the sponsor within 24 hours of the patient's admission.
"Serious" refers to outcome, not intensity; a severe headache may be non-serious, while a mild-seeming event leading to admission is serious. Under US rules, sponsors must report serious, unexpected suspected adverse reactions to the FDA within 15 days, or within 7 days if fatal or life-threatening.
Related abbreviations
More US customary and imperial unit abbreviations
- pk – Peck
- pt – Pint
- qt – Quart
- rd – Rod
- SF – Square feet (construction and real estate)
- sq ft – Square foot
- sq in – Square inch
- sq mi – Square mile
See all 43 US customary and imperial unit abbreviations →
More professional association and labor union abbreviations
- PMI – Project Management Institute
- RCN – Royal College of Nursing
- RIAA – Recording Industry Association of America
- RMT – National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers
- SAG-AFTRA – Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio…
- SEIU – Service Employees International Union
- SHRM – Society for Human Resource Management
- SPJ – Society of Professional Journalists
See all 95 professional association and labor union abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.