Most People Don’t Know What These 11 Abbreviations Stand For

Abbreviations are all over the place. We use them in text messages, emails, work meetings, and even normal, everyday conversations! They make our lives just a little bit easier and help us avoid unnecessary repetition. But sometimes we use abbreviations so frequently and for so long that we almost FORGET what they even stand for in the first place.

Here are eleven abbreviations that we use all the time in English, and I’ll be SHOCKED if you already know what all eleven of them stand for.

A.M.

stands for ante meridiem

use/meaning: “ante meridiem” is Latin for “before noon,” meaning a time of day before 12 p.m.

P.M.

stands for post meridiem

use/meaning: “post meridiem” is Latin for “after noon,” meaning a time of day after 12 p.m.

i.e.

stands for id est

use/meaning: “id est” is Latin for “that is.” Use this abbreviation when you’re about to redefine or reword something.

example: The restaurant was full (i.e., it had reached capacity).

e.g.

stands for exempli gratia

use/meaning: “exempli gratia” is Latin for “for example.” Use this abbreviation when you’re about to list examples.

example: I picked a variety of flowers (e.g., roses, tulips, and daisies) while out on my walk.

Learn more about the difference between i.e. and e.g. here!

AD (hint: it’s not “after death”)

stands for anno Domini

use/meaning: The phrase “anno Domini” is Latin for “in the year of our Lord.” Although the abbreviation doesn’t technically stand for “after death” (meaning after the death of Christ), the meaning is the same: in the system of marking time by the life and death of Jesus Christ, “AD” indicates the time after his death.

CC

stands for carbon copy

use/meaning: The abbreviation “CC” comes from when people would use carbon paper to make copies. You would put a blank sheet of paper underneath a document and press the pigment from the document onto the paper to copy it. Now, “CC” means you’ve “copied” an email to send it to multiple recipients. With “CC,” the recipients know that the email is being sent to multiple people (unlike with “BCC,” when the recipients do not know this).

BCC

stands for blind carbon copy

use/meaning: A blind carbon copy is one that is not marked as a copy; that is, recipients didn’t know they had just a copy of an original document. Today, “BCC” is used to send an email to multiple recipients without letting the recipients know that it’s being sent to multiple people.

p.s.

stands for postscript

use/meaning: “Postscript” comes from the Latin word postscriptum, which essentially means “written after.” It is used to mark an afterthought or additional information at the end of a message.

RSVP

stands for répondez s’il vous plaît

use/meaning: “Répondez s’il vous plaît” is French for “please reply.” It is used on invitations to indicate how an invitee should communicate whether they will attend the event or not.

example: You’re invited to my birthday party! RSVP at (123) 555-1357.

Wi-Fi

stands for wireless fidelity

use/meaning: The term “wireless fidelity” is “used to certify the interoperability of wireless computer networking devices.” In plain English, it’s a technology that uses radio waves to provide internet access without the need for any physical wiring. (There’s some debate about the technical meaning of “Wi-Fi,” but this is how it’s used normally in most conversations.)

URL

stands for uniform resource locator OR universal resource locator

use/meaning: A website’s URL is its address on the internet.

example: The URL of Strictly Speaking is https://strictly-speaking.com/

So how’d you do? Did you know all eleven? Let me know in the comments!

Sources:

• “America’s Most Trusted Dictionary.” Merriam-Webster. Accessed November 18th, 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com/.