Acronyms and abbreviations are widely used in various industries and fields, from technology and finance to healthcare and education. They serve as shorthand for long and complex terms and help people communicate more efficiently. However, with so many acronyms and abbreviations in use, it can be challenging to keep up with them all.
To help you navigate the world of acronyms and abbreviations, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most commonly used ones, along with their meanings and usage in different industries.
S.No. | Acronyms | Abbreviations | Used Industry |
1 | 24/7 | 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week | Business, Customer Service |
2 | 2FA | Two-Factor Authentication | Internet Security |
3 | 3D | Three-Dimensional | Technology |
4 | 401(k) | Retirement Savings Plan | Finance |
5 | 4G | Fourth Generation | Telecommunications |
6 | 4PL | Fourth-Party Logistics | Logistics |
7 | 5G | Fifth Generation | Telecommunications |
8 | A/B Testing | Split Testing | Marketing |
9 | A/C | Air Conditioning | Construction |
10 | AAA | American Automobile Association | Automotive |
11 | ADR | American Depositary Receipt | Finance |
12 | AFAIK | As Far As I Know | Internet Slang |
13 | AI | Artificial Intelligence | Technology |
14 | AJAX | Asynchronous JavaScript and XML | Web Development |
15 | AMA | Ask Me Anything | Internet Slang |
16 | AML | Anti-Money Laundering | Finance |
17 | API | Application Programming Interface | Technology |
18 | ARM | Advanced RISC Machines | Technology |
19 | ARPU | Average Revenue Per User | Business |
20 | ASAP | As Soon As Possible | Business, Education |
21 | ASCAP | American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers | Music |
22 | ASCII | American Standard Code for Information Interchange | Technology |
23 | ASIC | Application-Specific Integrated Circuit | Technology |
24 | ASP | Active Server Pages | Web Development |
25 | ASP | Application Service Provider | Information Technology |
26 | ATM | Automated Teller Machine | Banking |
27 | ATS | Applicant Tracking System | Human Resources |
28 | AWOL | Absent Without Leave | Military |
29 | AWS | Amazon Web Services | Cloud Computing |
30 | B2B | Business-to-Business | Business |
31 | BAE | Before Anyone Else | Internet Slang |
32 | BBL | Be Back Later | Internet Slang |
33 | BCC | Blind Carbon Copy | |
34 | BFF | Best Friends Forever | Internet Slang |
35 | BPM | Beats Per Minute | Music, Healthcare |
36 | BPM | Business Process Management | Business |
37 | BPO | Business Process Outsourcing | Business |
38 | BRB | Be Right Back | Internet Slang |
39 | BTW | By The Way | Internet Slang |
40 | BYOD | Bring Your Own Device | Information Technology |
41 | CAGR | Compound Annual Growth Rate | Business |
42 | CAPTCHA | Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart | Internet Security |
43 | CC | Carbon Copy | |
44 | CDN | Content Delivery Network | Web Development |
45 | CEO | Chief Executive Officer | Business |
46 | CFD | Contract for Difference | Finance |
47 | CFO | Chief Financial Officer | Business |
48 | CMO | Chief Marketing Officer | Business |
49 | CMS | Content Management System | Web Development |
50 | CNAME | Canonical Name | Web Development |
51 | COBOL | Common Business-Oriented Language | Computer Science |
52 | COO | Chief Operating Officer | Business |
53 | CPM | Cost Per Thousand | Marketing |
54 | CRM | Customer Relationship Management | Business |
55 | CSRF | Cross-Site Request Forgery | Internet Security |
56 | CSS | Cascading Style Sheets | Web Development |
57 | CTA | Call to Action | Marketing |
58 | CTA | Certified Trade Associate | Business |
59 | CTR | Click-Through Rate | Marketing |
60 | CTR | Client-to-Router | Technology |
61 | CV | Curriculum Vitae | Business |
62 | CX | Customer Experience | Business |
63 | D2C | Direct-to-Consumer | Marketing |
64 | DAM | Digital Asset Management | Marketing |
65 | DBA | Doing Business As | Business |
66 | DDoS | Distributed Denial of Service | Internet Security |
67 | DHCP | Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol | Network Management |
68 | DIY | Do It Yourself | Home Improvement, Crafts |
69 | DM | Direct Message | Social Media |
70 | DMS | Document Management System | Information Technology |
71 | DNS | Domain Name System | Web Development |
72 | DOS | Disk Operating System | Information Technology |
73 | DR | Disaster Recovery | Information Technology |
74 | DRAM | Dynamic Random Access Memory | Information Technology |
75 | DSL | Digital Subscriber Line | Telecommunications |
76 | DVD | Digital Versatile Disc | Technology |
77 | EAI | Enterprise Application Integration | Information Technology |
78 | EAN | European Article Number | Retail |
79 | EAP | Extensible Authentication Protocol | Internet Security |
80 | EBITDA | Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization | Finance |
81 | E-Commerce | Electronic Commerce | Business |
82 | EHR | Electronic Health Record | Healthcare |
83 | EMR | Electronic Medical Record | Healthcare |
84 | ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning | Information Technology |
85 | ESP | Email Service Provider | |
86 | ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival | Transportation |
87 | ETC | Et Cetera | General |
88 | EV | Electric Vehicle | Automotive |
89 | FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions | Informational Websites |
90 | FOB | Free on Board | Logistics |
91 | FOMO | Fear of Missing Out | Internet Slang |
92 | FTP | File Transfer Protocol | Technology |
93 | FYI | For Your Information | Business, Internet Slang |
94 | GAAP | Generally Accepted Accounting Principles | Accounting |
95 | GDPR | General Data Protection Regulation | Law |
96 | GIF | Graphics Interchange Format | Internet Slang |
97 | GIS | Geographic Information System | Geographic Information Science |
98 | GPS | Global Positioning System | Navigation |
99 | GPU | Graphics Processing Unit | Technology |
100 | GUI | Graphical User Interface | Technology |
101 | HR | Human Resources | Business |
102 | HTML | Hypertext Markup Language | Web Development |
103 | HTTP | Hypertext Transfer Protocol | Web Development |
104 | HTTPS | Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure | Web Development |
105 | HVAC | Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning | Construction |
106 | IA | Information Architecture | Web Development |
107 | IaaS | Infrastructure as a Service | Cloud Computing |
108 | IAM | Identity and Access Management | Internet Security |
109 | ICANN | Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers | Internet Governance |
110 | ICS | Industrial Control System | Industrial Control Systems |
111 | IoT | Internet of Things | Technology |
112 | IP | Internet Protocol | Internet |
113 | IPS | Intrusion Prevention System | Internet Security |
114 | IPv4 | Internet Protocol version 4 | Internet |
115 | IPv6 | Internet Protocol version 6 | Internet |
116 | IRL | In Real Life | Internet Slang |
117 | ISO | International Organization for Standardization | Business, Quality Control |
118 | ISP | Internet Service Provider | Internet |
119 | IT | Information Technology | Business |
120 | JIT | Just In Time | Manufacturing |
121 | JPEG | Joint Photographic Experts Group | Digital Imaging |
122 | KISS | Keep It Simple, Stupid | General |
123 | KPI | Key Performance Indicator | Business |
124 | LAMP | Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP | Web Development |
125 | LAN | Local Area Network | Telecommunications |
126 | LDAP | Lightweight Directory Access Protocol | Internet Security |
127 | LLC | Limited Liability Company | Business |
128 | LLP | Limited Liability Partnership | Business |
129 | LMS | Learning Management System | Education |
130 | LOL | Laughing Out Loud | Internet Slang |
131 | LTE | Long-Term Evolution | Telecommunications |
132 | LTV | Lifetime Value | Business |
133 | M&A | Merger and Acquisition | Finance |
134 | M&A | Mergers and Acquisitions | Business |
135 | M2M | Machine-to-Machine | Technology |
136 | MAC | Media Access Control | Telecommunications |
137 | MAP | Minimum Advertised Price | Marketing |
138 | MBA | Master of Business Administration | Education, Business |
139 | MDM | Master Data Management | Information Technology |
140 | MDM | Mobile Device Management | Information Technology |
141 | MFA | Multi-Factor Authentication | Internet Security |
142 | MIA | Missing In Action | Military |
143 | ML | Machine Learning | Technology |
144 | MSP | Managed Service Provider | Information Technology |
145 | MVC | Model-View-Controller | Web Development |
146 | NAS | Network Attached Storage | Information Technology |
147 | NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Space Exploration |
148 | NAT | Network Address Translation | Internet Security |
149 | NCAA | National Collegiate Athletic Association | Sports |
150 | NDA | Non-Disclosure Agreement | Business |
151 | NLP | Natural Language Processing | Technology |
152 | NN | Neural Network | Technology |
153 | NOSQL | Not Only SQL | Database Management |
154 | OCD | Obsessive Compulsive Disorder | Healthcare |
155 | OCR | Optical Character Recognition | Technology |
156 | ODBC | Open Database Connectivity | Database Management |
157 | OEM | Original Equipment Manufacturer | Manufacturing |
158 | OMG | Oh My God | Internet Slang |
159 | OOP | Object-Oriented Programming | Computer Science |
160 | OTOH | On The Other Hand | Internet Slang |
161 | P2P | Peer-to-Peer | Technology |
162 | PaaS | Platform as a Service | Cloud Computing |
163 | PCI | Payment Card Industry | Finance |
164 | PCI DSS | Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard | Internet Security |
165 | Portable Document Format | Document Sharing | |
166 | PEO | Professional Employer Organization | Human Resources |
167 | PHP | Hypertext Preprocessor | Web Development |
168 | PM | Project Manager | Business |
169 | POP | Post Office Protocol | |
170 | POS | Point of Sale | Retail |
171 | PPC | Pay Per Click | Marketing |
172 | PTO | Paid Time Off | Business |
173 | Q&A | Questions and Answers | Education, Business |
174 | QA | Quality Assurance | Business |
175 | QoS | Quality of Service | Telecommunications |
176 | QR Code | Quick Response Code | Information Technology |
177 | R&D | Research and Development | Science |
178 | RAID | Redundant Array of Independent Disks | Information Technology |
179 | RAM | Random Access Memory | Technology |
180 | RFI | Request for Information | Business |
181 | RFID | Radio Frequency Identification | Technology |
182 | RFP | Request for Proposal | Business |
183 | RoHS | Restriction of Hazardous Substances | Manufacturing |
184 | ROI | Return On Investment | Business |
185 | RSVP | Répondez s’il vous plaît | Event Planning |
186 | SaaS | Software as a Service | Cloud Computing |
187 | SaaS | Software-as-a-Service | Technology |
188 | SAN | Storage Area Network | Information Technology |
189 | SAP | Systems, Applications, and Products | Business |
190 | SAS | Statistical Analysis System | Data Analysis |
191 | SDR | Software-Defined Radio | Telecommunications |
192 | SEM | Search Engine Marketing | Marketing |
193 | SEO | Search Engine Optimization | Marketing, Web Development |
194 | SFTP | Secure File Transfer Protocol | Web Development |
195 | SIP | Session Initiation Protocol | Telecommunications |
196 | SKU | Stock Keeping Unit | Retail |
197 | SMM | Social Media Marketing | Marketing |
198 | SMS | Short Message Service | Telecommunications |
199 | SMTP | Simple Mail Transfer Protocol | Technology |
200 | SNMP | Simple Network Management Protocol | Network Management |
201 | SNS | Social Networking Service | Social Media |
202 | SOAP | Simple Object Access Protocol | Web Services |
203 | SOW | Statement of Work | Business |
204 | SQL | Structured Query Language | Database Management |
205 | SSD | Solid State Drive | Information Technology |
206 | SSH | Secure Shell | Internet Security |
207 | SSL | Secure Sockets Layer | Internet Security |
208 | SSO | Single Sign-On | Information Technology |
209 | SWOT | Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats | Business |
210 | TAM | Total Addressable Market | Business |
211 | TBA | To Be Announced | General |
212 | TBD | To Be Determined | Business, Event Planning |
213 | TCO | Total Cost of Ownership | Business |
214 | TCP | Transmission Control Protocol | Internet |
215 | TCP/IP | Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol | Web Development |
216 | TGIF | Thank God It’s Friday | Internet Slang |
217 | TLS | Transport Layer Security | Internet Security |
218 | TMI | Too Much Information | Internet Slang |
219 | TOS | Terms of Service | General |
220 | TPM | Trusted Platform Module | Internet Security |
221 | UI | User Interface | Web Development |
222 | UPS | Uninterruptible Power Supply | Manufacturing |
223 | URL | Uniform Resource Locator | Web Development |
224 | USB | Universal Serial Bus | Information Technology |
225 | USP | Unique Selling Proposition | Marketing |
226 | UX | User Experience | Web Development |
227 | VLAN | Virtual Local Area Network | Information Technology |
228 | VM | Virtual Machine | Virtualization |
229 | VoIP | Voice over Internet Protocol | Telecommunications |
230 | VPN | Virtual Private Network | Internet Security |
231 | VPS | Virtual Private Server | Information Technology |
232 | VR | Virtual Reality | Technology |
233 | WAN | Wide Area Network | Telecommunications |
234 | WEP | Wired Equivalent Privacy | Internet Security |
235 | WIP | Work in Progress | Manufacturing |
236 | WLAN | Wireless Local Area Network | Telecommunications |
237 | WPA | Wi-Fi Protected Access | Internet Security |
238 | WWW | World Wide Web | Internet |
239 | WYSIWYG | What You See Is What You Get | Web Development |
240 | XML | Extensible Markup Language | Web Development |
241 | XSS | Cross-Site Scripting | Internet Security |
242 | Y2K | Year 2000 | General |
243 | YAML | YAML Ain’t Markup Language | Web Development |
244 | YAML | Yet Another Markup Language | Web Development |
245 | YOLO | You Only Live Once | Internet Slang |
246 | YoY | Year Over Year | Business |
247 | YTD | Year to Date | Business |
248 | ZBB | Zero-Based Budgeting | Business |
249 | ZIP | Zone Improvement Plan | Postal Services |
Technology
- API (Application Programming Interface): a set of protocols and tools for building software applications
- ASP (Active Server Pages): a server-side scripting language used for creating dynamic web pages
- AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML): a group of web development techniques used to create asynchronous web applications
- ARM (Advanced RISC Machines): a family of reduced instruction set computing (RISC) architectures used in microprocessors
- ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): a character encoding standard for electronic communication
- AWS (Amazon Web Services): a cloud computing platform provided by Amazon
- CDN (Content Delivery Network): a network of servers used to deliver web content to users based on their geographic location
- CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): a style sheet language used for describing the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML
- DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol): a network protocol used to automatically assign IP addresses to devices
- DNS (Domain Name System): a hierarchical naming system for computers, services, or other resources connected to the internet or a private network
- DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory): a type of random access memory used in most modern computers
- DSL (Digital Subscriber Line): a high-speed internet access technology that uses existing phone lines to transmit data
- DVD (Digital Versatile Disc): a digital optical disc storage format used for storing high-quality video and audio
Business and Finance
- 401(k): a retirement savings plan offered by many employers
- ACH (Automated Clearing House): an electronic funds transfer system used in the United States
- APR (Annual Percentage Rate): the interest rate charged on a loan over a year
- CFO (Chief Financial Officer): a senior executive responsible for managing a company’s financial operations
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management): a strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers
- EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization): a measure of a company’s profitability
- IPO (Initial Public Offering): the first sale of a company’s stock to the public
- KPI (Key Performance Indicator): a measurable value that demonstrates how effectively a company is achieving its key business objectives
- ROI (Return on Investment): a measure of the profitability of an investment
- VC (Venture Capital): a type of private equity financing that provides capital to early-stage companies
Marketing and Advertising
- A/B Testing (Split Testing): a method of comparing two versions of a webpage or app to determine which one performs better
- CPC (Cost Per Click): the amount an advertiser pays for each click on their ad
- CPM (Cost Per Mille): the cost of 1,000 impressions of an ad
- CRM (Customer Relationship Management): a strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers
- CTA (Call to Action): a marketing term that refers to a prompt to encourage a user to take a specific action
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization): the practice of optimizing a website or web page to improve its visibility