STD
Abbreviation with 6 meanings
| Stands for | Sexually transmitted disease |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 6 |
| Categories | Medical, Business & Finance, Texting & Internet Slang, Writing & Everyday, Transportation & Travel, Education & Academia |
| Also written | std. |
STD has six meanings. The most common are Sexually transmitted disease (infectious disease) and Short-term disability insurance (insurance); it can also stand for Save the date, Standard, Scheduled time of departure and Sacrae Theologiae Doctor (Doctor of Sacred Theology).
Meanings of STD at a glance
| # | STD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sexually transmitted disease | Medical › Infectious Disease |
| 2 | Short-term disability insurance | Business & Finance › Insurance |
| 3 | Save the date | Texting & Internet Slang › Dating and Relationship |
| 4 | Standard | Writing & Everyday › Everyday |
| 5 | Scheduled time of departure | Transportation & Travel › Aviation |
| 6 | Sacrae Theologiae Doctor (Doctor of Sacred Theology) | Education & Academia › Degree |
1. Sexually transmitted disease
Medical · Infectious Disease Abbreviations
Traditional term for illnesses spread through sexual contact, still widely used by the public and in clinic names and insurance forms. It covers the same infections as STI, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and herpes.
Example: County STD clinic offers walk-in testing and free treatment Monday through Friday.
Before the 1970s the common term was venereal disease (VD), from Venus. Many public health professionals now prefer STI, which also captures infections without symptoms, but STD remains more familiar in everyday speech and search queries. Pronounced as letters.
2. Short-term disability insurance
Business & Finance · Insurance Abbreviations
Insurance that replaces part of an employee's income, often 50% to 70%, for a few weeks to several months when illness, injury or childbirth prevents work. Benefits usually start after a waiting period of one to two weeks.
Example: STD covered 60% of my salary for six weeks of maternity recovery.
Most STD comes through employers, and five states plus Puerto Rico require it through state disability programs. Benefits are taxable if premiums were paid by the employer with pre-tax dollars. In medicine, STD means sexually transmitted disease.
3. Save the date
Texting & Internet Slang · Dating and Relationship Abbreviations
Card, magnet or digital notice sent to wedding guests months in advance, asking them to keep the date free before formal invitations go out.
Example: Our STDs are going out in March for an October wedding.
Planners commonly suggest sending them six to eight months ahead, or earlier for destination weddings. Wedding forums use STD freely, though outside that context the letters overwhelmingly mean sexually transmitted disease, a mix-up that produces many jokes; spelling it out avoids confusion.
4. Standard (std.)
Writing & Everyday · Everyday Abbreviations
Shortens "standard" in specifications, price lists and shipping options, as in "std. shipping" or "std. size."
Example: Std. shipping takes 5 to 7 business days; express arrives in two.
Engineers may use "std." for a published standard, such as an ISO or ANSI specification. In statistics, "std. dev." means standard deviation. The capitalized STD is a medical abbreviation for sexually transmitted disease, a different term entirely.
5. Scheduled time of departure
Transportation & Travel · Aviation Abbreviations
Published departure time of a flight, train or ship as shown in the timetable and on the ticket. Departure boards and booking confirmations list the STD, with any revised estimate shown beside it.
Example: STD 07:10, gate closes 06:50, boarding begins 06:30.
STD and STA together define the block time airlines publish, which has lengthened over the decades as carriers pad schedules to look punctual. On a boarding pass or departure board STD always means the scheduled time; the same letters have unrelated meanings elsewhere, including sexually transmitted disease and "standard."
6. Sacrae Theologiae Doctor (Doctor of Sacred Theology)
Education & Academia · Degree Abbreviations
Highest pontifical degree in Catholic theology, earned after the STL with a dissertation at a faculty approved by the Holy See, such as the Gregorian University in Rome or the Catholic University of America. It qualifies holders to teach at pontifical faculties.
Example: Monsignor Reyes holds an STD in dogmatic theology and teaches at the archdiocesan seminary.
Written S.T.D. Most general readers will assume the medical meaning, sexually transmitted disease, so church documents usually give the degree with a field or institution. Pontifical faculties typically require the dissertation, or an excerpt, to be published before the doctorate is conferred. Biblical studies have parallel degrees, the SSL and SSD, from the Pontifical Biblical Institute.
Related abbreviations
More infectious disease abbreviations
- S. aureus – Staphylococcus aureus
- SARS – Severe acute respiratory syndrome
- SARS-CoV-2 – Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
- SSTI – Skin and soft tissue infection
- STEC – Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
- STI – Sexually transmitted infection
- SVR – Sustained virologic response
- TB – Tuberculosis
See all 92 infectious disease abbreviations →
More insurance abbreviations
- SIR – Self-insured retention
- SLI – Supplemental liability insurance
- SPIA – Single premium immediate annuity
- SR-22 – SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility
- TPA – Third-party administrator
- TPFT – Third party, fire and theft
- UBI – Usage-based insurance
- UIM – Underinsured motorist coverage
See all 86 insurance abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.