UC
Abbreviation with 11 meanings
| Stands for | Ulcerative colitis |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 11 |
| Categories | Medical, Government & Politics, Education & Academia, Technology & Computing, Writing & Everyday |
| Also written | uc |
UC has 11 meanings. The most common are Ulcerative colitis (gastroenterology) and Urgent care (hospital); it can also stand for Universal Credit, University of California, Unanimous consent, Undercover officer and University of Cincinnati, plus 4 more listed below.
Meanings of UC at a glance
| # | UC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ulcerative colitis | Medical › Gastroenterology |
| 2 | Urgent care | Medical › Hospital |
| 3 | Universal Credit | Government & Politics › UK Government |
| 4 | University of California | Education & Academia › University |
| 5 | Unanimous consent | Government & Politics › Political |
| 6 | Undercover officer | Government & Politics › Police |
| 7 | University of Cincinnati | Education & Academia › University |
| 8 | Urothelial carcinoma | Medical › Nephrology & Urology |
| 9 | Unified command | Government & Politics › Emergency Services |
| 10 | Unified communications | Technology & Computing › Telecom |
| 11 | Uppercase | Writing & Everyday › Proofreading and Correction Mark |
1. Ulcerative colitis
Medical · Gastroenterology Abbreviations
Form of IBD that causes continuous mucosal inflammation starting in the rectum and extending proximally through the colon to a variable extent. Typical symptoms are bloody diarrhea, urgency and tenesmus; severity is graded with tools such as the Mayo score, and removing the colon cures the intestinal disease.
Example: Left-sided UC, Mayo endoscopic subscore 2; escalate from mesalamine to vedolizumab.
The Montreal classification describes extent as proctitis (E1), left-sided colitis (E2) or extensive pancolitis (E3). Unlike Crohn's disease, UC spares the small bowel apart from occasional backwash ileitis and does not skip segments. In urology and pathology reports, UC can instead mean urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, so the specialty of the note matters. Total proctocolectomy with an ileal pouch (IPAA) is the usual operation.
2. Urgent care
Medical · Hospital Abbreviations
Walk-in clinic for illnesses and injuries that need prompt attention but are not life-threatening, such as sprains, minor cuts, sore throats and urinary infections. Most offer X-ray and basic lab testing.
Example: Seen at UC for ankle sprain, X-ray negative, follow up with ortho if not improving.
Urgent care fills a gap between primary care and the emergency department, with extended hours and no appointment. Chest pain, stroke symptoms and severe breathing problems should go to an ED instead. In gastroenterology UC means ulcerative colitis.
3. Universal Credit
Government & Politics · UK Government Abbreviations
UK means-tested benefit paid monthly to people of working age on low incomes or out of work, replacing six older benefits including income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit and tax credits. Claims are made and managed online through a journal.
Example: Her first UC payment arrived five weeks after she made the claim.
Introduced from 2013 under the Welfare Reform Act 2012, it was rolled out gradually, with remaining claimants of older benefits moved across by the mid-2020s. The five-week wait for a first payment has been criticized, and advances are available as loans. The amount falls as earnings rise, by 55 pence per pound above any work allowance.
4. University of California
Education & Academia · University Abbreviations
Public university system of ten campuses, founded in 1868, including Berkeley, UCLA, San Diego, Davis, Irvine, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Riverside, Merced and the graduate health campus San Francisco. Its campuses enroll roughly 300,000 students and manage or partner on national laboratories.
Example: She applied to six UC campuses using a single UC application.
Students submit one application to all undergraduate campuses, with essays called Personal Insight Questions. The system is distinct from the California State University (CSU) system and the California Community Colleges. In Ohio, UC usually means the University of Cincinnati.
5. Unanimous consent
Government & Politics · Political Abbreviations
Procedure in the US Senate, and to a lesser extent the House, by which business proceeds without a formal vote unless a single member objects. Much Senate business, from scheduling votes to passing noncontroversial bills, runs on UC agreements negotiated by party leaders.
Example: The resolution passed by UC late Thursday night with no senators objecting.
Because any senator can object, unanimous consent gives individual members great leverage; a "hold" is essentially notice that a senator will object. Time agreements setting the length of debate and order of amendments are usually reached this way. In university names, UC refers to the University of California system.
6. Undercover officer
Government & Politics · Police Abbreviations
Officer who conceals their police identity to gather evidence, buy drugs or infiltrate criminal groups. UC work ranges from short "buy-bust" operations to long-term infiltration lasting years.
Example: The UC made three buys at the apartment before the team executed the warrant.
Undercover officers often wear wires or use recording devices and work with a cover team nearby. Courts have long held that undercover police may lie about their identity, but entrapment defenses can apply if officers induce someone to commit a crime they were not predisposed to commit. In Congress, UC means unanimous consent.
7. University of Cincinnati
Education & Academia · University Abbreviations
Public research university in Cincinnati, founded in 1819, where engineering dean Herman Schneider created cooperative education, alternating classroom study with paid work, in 1906. Its Bearcats joined the Big 12 in 2023.
Example: UC's co-op program placed her at an aerospace company for three semesters.
The university's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and DAAP design and architecture school are widely known. In California, UC means the University of California system. Albert Sabin developed his oral polio vaccine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, affiliated with the university.
8. Urothelial carcinoma
Medical · Nephrology & Urology Abbreviations
Cancer arising from the urothelium, the lining of the bladder, ureters, renal pelvis and urethra; it accounts for about 90 percent of bladder cancers in the US. Painless visible blood in the urine is the classic presentation, and smoking is the leading risk factor.
Example: High-grade UC, pT1, with carcinoma in situ; induction intravesical BCG.
Formerly called transitional cell carcinoma, a name the WHO classification has replaced. Upper tract urothelial carcinoma, in the kidney or ureter, is associated with Lynch syndrome. In gastroenterology UC usually means ulcerative colitis, so urology and pathology reports are the settings for this meaning.
9. Unified command
Government & Politics · Emergency Services Abbreviations
Incident Command System arrangement in which leaders from multiple agencies with jurisdiction, such as fire, police and public health, jointly manage an incident and agree on common objectives. Used for large or complex emergencies.
Example: The shooting response operated under UC with the police chief and fire chief at the same command post.
Unified command lets each agency keep its own authority while working from a single incident action plan. It is common at mass-casualty events, hazardous materials releases and planned events. In policing, UC means undercover officer.
10. Unified communications
Technology & Computing · Telecom Abbreviations
Integration of phone calls, video meetings, instant messaging, presence, voicemail and file sharing into one platform, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Cisco Webex or RingCentral.
Example: IT is retiring the desk phones as part of the UC migration to Teams.
Cloud-hosted versions are sold as UCaaS (unified communications as a service). Presence indicators show whether colleagues are available, busy or in a meeting. UC platforms often replace on-premises PBX systems and connect to the public phone network through SIP trunks or direct routing.
11. Uppercase (uc)
Writing & Everyday · Proofreading and Correction Mark Abbreviations
Tells a typesetter to set a letter or word in capitals, written in the margin next to a lowercase letter underlined three times in the text. For whole words, editors often write caps instead.
Example: Three short lines under the "m" in "mississippi" and uc in the margin flag the missing capital.
Triple underlining is the standard sign for capitals in American and British proofreading, double underlining for small capitals, and single underlining for italics. The word "uppercase" refers to the upper type case of the compositor's frame. Some charts combine instructions, as in "uc/lc" for initial capitals only.
Related abbreviations
More gastroenterology abbreviations
- AH – Alcohol-associated hepatitis
- AIH – Autoimmune hepatitis
- ALD – Alcohol-associated liver disease
- ALF – Acute liver failure
- AP – Acute pancreatitis
- APC – Argon plasma coagulation
- BE – Barrett's esophagus
- BRBPR – Bright red blood per rectum
See all 85 gastroenterology abbreviations →
More hospital abbreviations
- TCU – Transitional care unit
- Tele – Telemetry
- TICU – Trauma intensive care unit
- TJC – The Joint Commission
- UM – Utilization management
- UR – Utilization review
- VAP – Ventilator-associated pneumonia
- WBN – Well-baby nursery
See all 89 hospital abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.