Full FormsOne short form, many meanings
The same two or three letters often stand for different things in different fields. The subject of the conversation tells you which one is meant.
With only twenty-six letters and a habit of using three at a time, clashes cannot be avoided. On this site 12 short forms appear in more than one subject. The table lists each with all its meanings here. Tap through to the A to Z list to reach each entry.
| Short form | Meanings |
|---|---|
| AM | Amplitude Modulation (mobile and telecom) ante meridiem (chat) |
| ATM | Automated Teller Machine (banking) At The Moment (chat) |
| CC | Carbon Copy (computers and internet) Cubic Centimetres (transport and travel) |
| DM | District Magistrate (government) Direct Message (chat) |
| ISO | International Organization for Standardization (world bodies) In Search Of (chat) |
| MD | Doctor of Medicine (degrees and courses) Managing Director (office and business) |
| MS | Master of Surgery (degrees and courses) Microsoft (computers and internet) |
| PM | Prime Minister (government) post meridiem (chat) |
| PNG | Portable Network Graphics (computers and internet) Piped Natural Gas (government) |
| SSC | Secondary School Certificate (school) Staff Selection Commission (government) |
| TB | Terabyte (computers and internet) Tuberculosis (science and medicine) |
| TDS | Tax Deducted at Source (banking) Total Dissolved Solids (science and medicine) |
How to tell which is meant
- Look at the field. On a salary slip TDS is tax deducted at source; on a water purifier it is total dissolved solids. In a hospital OT is the operation theatre; in a factory it is overtime.
- Look at the words around it. "5 PM" is a time. "The PM said" is a person. "A 150 cc engine" is a size. "Keep me in cc" is an email.
- Look at the capitals. PwD with a small w is persons with disabilities; PWD is the Public Works Department. Cm is not a unit, but cm is.
- If you are the writer, remove the doubt. Spell the full form out the first time you use a short form that could be misread.
In examinations
Question papers normally make the field clear: "In computers, what is the full form of PNG?" If a general knowledge question gives no hint, give the meaning that belongs to the subject of the paper, and if you have room, mention the other. "SSC: Staff Selection Commission (also Secondary School Certificate)" shows that you know both.
More clashes worth knowing
- IFS: Indian Foreign Service and Indian Forest Service. The Forest Service is often written IFoS to keep them apart.
- NDA: National Defence Academy, National Democratic Alliance, and in business a non-disclosure agreement.
- IPL: the cricket league; in law, intellectual property law.
- PG: postgraduate and paying guest.
- AC: alternating current and air conditioner.
- IT: information technology and income tax, as in "IT return".
Next
Abbreviation, acronym and initialism: the difference All guides