Abbreviations

Abbreviations Common in English

This is a list of some abbreviations common in English, and what they stand for. For more information about them look in the A-Z of the dictionary.

AA Automobile Association; Alcoholics Anonymous
AAA American Automobile Association; Amateur Athletic Association
A & E accident and emergency
A & R artists and repertoire
ABC American Broadcasting Company
ABH actual bodily harm
ABS anti-lock braking system
ABTA Association of British Travel Agents
AC;ac air conditioning
AC alternating current
a/c account; air conditioning
AD,A.D. Anno Domini
ADD attention deficit disorder
ADHD attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
ADSL asymmertic digital subscriber line
AGM annual general meeting
AH,A.H. Anno Hegirae
AI artificial insemination; artificial intelligence
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
aka also known as
AM amplitude modulation
a.m. , A.M. between midnight and midday (from Latin ‘ante meridiem’)
anon. anonymous
AOB any other business
APB all-points bulletin
Apex , APEX Advanced Purchase Excursion
approx approximate; approximately
APR annual percentage rate
arr. arrives; arrival; arranged by
asap as soon as possible
ASBO antisocial behaviour order
ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange
Assoc. Association
Asst , Asst. Assistant
ATM automated teller machine
attn , attn. for the attention of
ATV all-terrain vehicle
Ave. , Av. Avenue
AWOL absent without leaveB2B
B and B , B & B , b and b , b & b bed and breakfast
BA , B.A. Bachelor of Arts
BAFTA British Academy of Film and Television Arts
BBC British Broadcasting Corporaion
BBQ barbecue
BC , B.C. before Christ
BCE , B.C.E. before the Common Era
BEC Business English Certificate
BEd , B.Ed. Bachelor of Education
BLT bacon , lettuce and tomato
Blvd. boulevard
BO body odour
Bros , Bros. Brothers
BSc , B.S. Bachelor of Science
BSE bovine spongiform encephalopathy
BST British Summer Time
BTW by the way
b/w black and white