How to Introduce an Abbreviation
Introduce an abbreviation or acronym by providing its full form the first time you use it in a formal text. The standard way to introduce an abbreviation is to write the complete term and enclose the abbreviation in parentheses.
- All our boats are equipped with personal locator beacons (PLBs).
- Augmented reality (AR) can improve the workplace for those with disabilities.
- We investigate how an automated driving system (ADS) can cause accidents.
- Unsinkable floating devices (UFDs) are now a popular way to cross the Atlantic.
If you expect the abbreviation to be better known than its full form, enclose the complete term in parentheses instead.
- A URL (uniform resource locator) is the unique address of a web page.
- The first ATM (automated teller machine) was installed in Rockville Centre, New York, in 1969.
- The first movie on DVD (digital video disc) was released in 1997.
You can also introduce or explain the abbreviation without the use of parentheses. This style works well in writing meant for a general audience.
- The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, better known as OPEC, is not as effective a cartel as some believe.
- One-time passwords, or OTPs, have made banking more secure.
- Fast-moving consumer goods have been flying off the shelves in this pandemic, which is why FMCG companies are now on a hiring spree.
- The United Nations Children’s Fund, known globally as UNICEF, is responsible for providing aid to children worldwide.
While you should always explain an abbreviation at first use, also consider explaining it again to help your readers if it reappears after a long gap, such as in a new section of the document.
Avoid redundancies such as “ATM machine.” The word machine is already part of the abbreviation ATM, which stands for “automated teller machine.”
Providing a glossary
Consider adding a glossary or list of abbreviations after the index in an academic paper that contains nonstandard abbreviations. This can help the reader quickly and easily find the meaning of an abbreviation. Remember that the abbreviation still needs to be explained the first time it appears in the main text.
Exceptions: Abbreviations that don’t need explanation
You don’t need to provide the full form of an abbreviation listed as a noun rather than an abbreviation in a standard dictionary such as Merriam-Webster or Oxford.
- DNA
- GPS
- IQ
- FAQ
- UFO
- ATM
- URL
- HTML
- JPEG
- FTP
- DOS
- LAN
- ASCII
- CD
- DVD
- SUV
- HMO
- SOS
- TNT
- TV
- CEO
- PR
- ID
- BCG
- HIV
- AIDS
- COVID
- SARS
- hi-fi
Standard abbreviations need not be explained if you are reasonably certain your audience will recognize them. Such expressions almost always appear in their abbreviated form, and readers may be more familiar with the abbreviated than the full form.
- US
- UK
- EU
- PM
- CV
- PA
- MBA
- CPA
- CFA
- MD
- PhD
- VP
- NGO
- CPR
- ORS
- BC/AD
- BCE/CE
- NB
- HMS
- HRH
- EST
- GMT
- rpm
- CO2
- e.g.
- i.e.
- et al.
- a.m., p.m.
- Jan.
- Sun.
Contractions of titles that appear before a name or are part of a proper noun (like a company name) also don’t need to be explained.
- Mr.
- Dr.
- Prof.
- Rev.
- Sen.
- Gen.
- Pres.
- Sgt.
- Inc.
- Corp.
- Co.
- Ltd.
Abbreviated SI units, which are standard, need not be explained either.
- Weight = 20 kg
Some abbreviations may be common in a specific field and familiar to those who work in that field. Make sure to provide the full form when writing for a general audience.
- NOPAT: net operating profit after tax
- adj.: adjective
- BP: before present
- ac: alternating current
- FA: functional assay
- CDN: content delivery network
Plural abbreviations
Use the plural form of an abbreviation as appropriate when introducing it in text. To form the plural, simply add s without an apostrophe.
- Original owners can create more non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of their own work.
- Electronic memory archiving tools (EMATs) can now be used to store memories you don’t want to permanently delete.
- Content management systems (CMSs) help users create and modify content.
Capitalizing the full form
Don’t capitalize the words in the full form of an abbreviation unless it stands for a proper noun, like the name of a country, agency, company, university, or organization.
- A virtual private network (VPN) protects you by encrypting your data.
- We sell PFDs (portable floating devices).
- NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is after all a military alliance.
- The European Union (EU) was established in 1993.
- She works at the Department of Education (ED).
Don’t capitalize prepositions like of and conjunctions like and in the expanded form of an abbreviation, even when the term is a proper name.
Examples from published content
The following examples illustrate how abbreviations can be explained in text. Abbreviations may be introduced in different ways depending on the tone of the work, always with the goal of improving readability and clarity.
Hard disk drive (HDD) storage technology is now largely used in consumer devices.
— Gianfranco Pistoia, Battery Operated Devices and Systems (2009)The detection of a radio signal, which is a very high-frequency alternating current (AC), requires that the signal be rectified.
— Robert I. Scace, “Electronics,” Encyclopedia Britannica (June 2, 2020)As the quiet whirr of electric vehicles gradually replaces the revs and noxious fumes of internal combustion engines, a number of changes are set to filter through our familiar world. . . . Currently, lithium (Li) ion batteries are those typically used in EVs and the megabatteries used to store energy from renewables, and Li batteries are hard to recycle.
— Allison Hirschlag, “Lithium batteries’ big unanswered question,” BBC Future (Jan. 6, 2022)An SEP is something we can’t see, or don’t see, or our brain doesn’t let us see, because we think that it’s somebody else’s problem.
— Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979)