Acronyms & Initialisms

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol — the standard for sending email between servers.

"Your outgoing mail is routed through an SMTP server."

Internet Message Access Protocol — lets email clients read messages stored on a server.

"IMAP keeps your inbox in sync across every device."

Post Office Protocol version 3 — downloads email from a server to one device.

"Older mail apps still offer POP3 as an option."

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol — automatically assigns IP addresses on a network.

"The router uses DHCP to give each laptop an address."

Virtual Local Area Network — a logically separated network on shared hardware.

"The office puts guests on a separate VLAN."

Distributed Denial of Service — an attack that floods a site with traffic from many sources.

"The site went down during a DDoS attack."

Multi-Factor Authentication — logging in with more than one proof of identity.

"Turn on MFA for an extra layer of security."

Single Sign-On — one login that grants access to many applications.

"SSO lets staff use one password for every tool."

Object-Relational Mapping — a layer that connects code objects to database tables.

"The app talks to the database through an ORM."

JSON Web Token — a compact, signed token used to verify identity between services.

"The API returns a JWT after you log in."

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface — the modern replacement for BIOS firmware.

"UEFI boots the computer before the operating system loads."

Redundant Array of Independent Disks — combining drives for speed or data safety.

"The server uses RAID so a single drive failure won't lose data."

Network-Attached Storage — a storage device shared over a network.

"We back up photos to a NAS at home."

Video Graphics Array — an older analog standard for connecting monitors.

"The old projector only has a VGA port."

New Technology File System — the default file system on Windows.

"External drives are often formatted as NTFS."

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment — an interface for connecting storage drives.

"The hard drive plugs in with a SATA cable."

Unicode Transformation Format — an encoding for representing text characters.

"Save the file as UTF-8 to keep special characters."

Optical Character Recognition — software that turns images of text into editable text.

"OCR pulled the numbers straight off the scanned receipt."

International Mobile Equipment Identity — a unique number identifying a phone.

"Dial a code to see your phone's IMEI."

Voice over Internet Protocol — making phone calls over the internet.

"The company switched its phones to VoIP."

Global System for Mobile Communications — a widely used mobile network standard.

"Most carriers worldwide run on GSM."

Not Only SQL — databases that store data without fixed table schemas.

"They chose a NoSQL database for flexible records."

Over-The-Counter — medicine sold without a prescription.

"You can buy that painkiller OTC."

Sexually Transmitted Disease — an infection passed through sexual contact.

"Clinics offer free STD testing."

Sexually Transmitted Infection — an infection passed through sexual contact.

"STI is now the preferred term over STD."

Human Papillomavirus — a common virus some strains of which can cause cancer.

"The HPV vaccine is given to teenagers."

Electroencephalogram — a test that records electrical activity in the brain.

"The EEG showed normal brain-wave patterns."

Red Blood Cell — the cells that carry oxygen through the body.

"A low RBC count can signal anemia."

White Blood Cell — the cells that fight infection.

"A high WBC count may mean an infection."

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease — chronic acid reflux.

"Spicy food can trigger her GERD."

Automated External Defibrillator — a device that shocks a stopped heart back into rhythm.

"Most airports keep an AED on the wall."

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit — hospital care for newborns.

"The premature baby spent two weeks in the NICU."

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — a progressive nervous-system disease.

"The Ice Bucket Challenge raised money for ALS research."

Congestive Heart Failure — when the heart can't pump blood effectively.

"He manages his CHF with medication and diet."

In Vitro Fertilization — fertilizing an egg outside the body.

"They welcomed twins after IVF."

Premenstrual Syndrome — symptoms before a menstrual period.

"PMS can cause cramps and mood changes."

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome — a common hormonal disorder.

"PCOS can affect fertility."

Deep Vein Thrombosis — a blood clot in a deep vein, often in the leg.

"Move around on long flights to reduce DVT risk."

Gastrointestinal — relating to the stomach and intestines.

"A GI specialist treated her stomach pain."

Multiple Sclerosis — a disease affecting the brain and spinal cord.

"MS can cause fatigue and numbness."

Annual Percentage Yield — the real yearly return including compounding.

"The savings account advertises a 5% APY."

Exchange-Traded Fund — a basket of assets traded like a single stock.

"She invests through a low-cost index ETF."

Individual Retirement Account — a tax-advantaged US retirement account.

"He maxes out his IRA every year."

Health Savings Account — a tax-free account for medical expenses.

"Her HSA covers her prescription costs."

Health Maintenance Organization — an insurance plan using a network of providers.

"An HMO requires a referral to see a specialist."

Preferred Provider Organization — a flexible health-insurance network.

"A PPO lets you see specialists without a referral."

Customer Acquisition Cost — the average cost to win one new customer.

"Lowering CAC improves profit margins."

Lifetime Value — the total revenue expected from one customer.

"A high LTV justifies more marketing spend."

Net Promoter Score — a measure of customer loyalty.

"Our NPS jumped after the redesign."

Memorandum of Understanding — a non-binding agreement outlining intentions.

"The two firms signed an MOU to explore a partnership."

Letter of Intent — a document stating a plan to do business.

"The buyer submitted a letter of intent."

Small and Medium-sized Business — a company of modest size.

"The software targets the SMB market."

Small and Medium-sized Enterprise — a modestly sized company.

"SMEs form the backbone of the economy."

Generally Accepted Accounting Principles — standard US accounting rules.

"The statements follow GAAP."

International Financial Reporting Standards — global accounting rules.

"European firms report under IFRS."

Employer Identification Number — a US business tax ID.

"You'll need an EIN to hire employees."

Limited Liability Company — a business structure that protects owners' personal assets.

"She set up an LLC for her bakery."

Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price — the recommended selling price.

"The car sold below MSRP."

Just-In-Time — producing goods only as they are needed.

"JIT manufacturing keeps inventory low."

First In, First Out — using the oldest stock or data first.

"The warehouse rotates food on a FIFO basis."

Last In, First Out — using the newest stock or data first.

"LIFO changes how inventory is valued."

Capital Expenditure — money spent on long-term assets.

"New machinery counts as CapEx."

Operating Expenditure — day-to-day running costs.

"Salaries and rent are OpEx."

Chief Operating Officer — the executive running daily operations.

"The COO oversees logistics."

Chief Technology Officer — the executive leading technology.

"The CTO set the engineering roadmap."

Chief Marketing Officer — the executive leading marketing.

"The CMO launched the rebrand."

Chief Information Officer — the executive leading information systems.

"The CIO approved the cloud migration."

End Of Day — by the close of the working day.

"Please send the report by EOD."

Close Of Business — the end of the business day.

"I need your sign-off by COB Friday."

Department of Health and Human Services — the US federal health department.

"HHS oversees public-health programs."

Department of Housing and Urban Development — the US federal housing agency.

"HUD runs housing-assistance programs."

Department of Transportation — the US federal transport agency.

"The DOT sets highway safety rules."

Department of Labor — the US federal labor agency.

"The DOL publishes monthly jobs data."

Department of Veterans Affairs — the US agency serving military veterans.

"He gets his healthcare through the VA."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement — a US federal law-enforcement agency.

"ICE handles immigration enforcement."

Customs and Border Protection — the US border agency.

"CBP officers checked our passports."

National Transportation Safety Board — US agency that investigates accidents.

"The NTSB investigated the plane crash."

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — insures US bank deposits.

"Your savings are FDIC-insured up to the limit."

Small Business Administration — a US agency supporting small firms.

"She got an SBA loan to open her shop."

United States Postal Service — the US national mail carrier.

"The package shipped via USPS."

Government Accountability Office — the US congressional audit agency.

"A GAO report flagged the overspending."

Office of Management and Budget — part of the US executive branch.

"The OMB reviews the federal budget."

Military Intelligence, Section 5 — the UK domestic security service.

"MI5 handles domestic counter-intelligence."

Military Intelligence, Section 6 — the UK foreign intelligence service.

"MI6 operates overseas, like the fictional James Bond."

Royal Canadian Mounted Police — Canada's national police force.

"The RCMP investigated the case."

United States Geological Survey — the US agency for earth science.

"The USGS tracks earthquakes."

General Educational Development — a certificate equal to a high-school diploma.

"She earned her GED at night school."

Free Application for Federal Student Aid — the US college-aid form.

"Fill out the FAFSA before the deadline."

Historically Black College or University — US colleges founded to serve Black students.

"He's proud to attend an HBCU."

Bachelor of Fine Arts — an undergraduate degree in the arts.

"She has a BFA in painting."

Juris Doctor — a professional law degree.

"You need a JD to sit the bar exam."

Doctor of Dental Surgery — a dentistry degree.

"Her dentist holds a DDS."

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine — a veterinary degree.

"The vet earned her DVM."

English as a Foreign Language — English taught where it isn't the main language.

"He teaches EFL in Japan."

International Space Station — the crewed station orbiting Earth.

"Astronauts live on the ISS for months."

European Space Agency — Europe's space organization.

"The ESA launched the probe."

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency — Japan's space agency.

"JAXA returned asteroid samples to Earth."

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence — the hunt for alien signals.

"SETI scans the skies for radio signals."

European Organization for Nuclear Research — home of the Large Hadron Collider.

"The Higgs boson was found at CERN."

Genetically Modified Organism — a living thing with altered DNA.

"The label says the corn is GMO-free."

Polymerase Chain Reaction — a technique to copy and detect DNA.

"A PCR test confirmed the infection."

Non-Commissioned Officer — an enlisted leader such as a sergeant.

"The NCO trained the new recruits."

Surface-to-Air Missile — a missile fired from the ground at aircraft.

"The base is defended by SAM batteries."

Meal, Ready-to-Eat — a packaged field ration.

"Soldiers ate MREs in the field."

Sea, Air, and Land — the US Navy's elite special-forces teams.

"Navy SEALs carried out the mission."

Armored Personnel Carrier — an armored vehicle for transporting troops.

"The APC rolled through the checkpoint."

National Basketball Association — the top US basketball league.

"He dreams of playing in the NBA."

National Football League — the top US American-football league.

"The NFL season ends with the Super Bowl."

National Hockey League — the top North American ice-hockey league.

"Her favorite NHL team made the playoffs."

Major League Baseball — the top US baseball league.

"MLB games are played all summer."

Major League Soccer — the top US and Canadian soccer league.

"The MLS season kicks off in spring."

Ultimate Fighting Championship — a mixed-martial-arts promotion.

"The UFC fight went three rounds."

Professional Golfers' Association — the main body for professional golf.

"He qualified for the PGA tour."

Women's Tennis Association — the women's professional tennis tour.

"She rose up the WTA rankings."

International Cricket Council — the global governing body for cricket.

"The ICC organizes the Cricket World Cup."

Technical Knockout — a fight stopped because a boxer can't safely continue.

"The bout ended in a TKO."

Run Batted In — a baseball stat for runs a batter drives home.

"He led the league in RBIs."

Cable News Network — a US news channel.

"She watched the results on CNN."

Home Box Office — a US premium TV network.

"The show airs on HBO."

Music Television — a channel that launched the music-video era.

"MTV once played videos around the clock."

Entertainment and Sports Programming Network — a US sports channel.

"The game is on ESPN tonight."

Public Broadcasting Service — a US non-commercial TV network.

"Many children grew up on PBS shows."

National Public Radio — a US non-commercial radio network.

"He listens to NPR on his commute."

High-Definition Television — TV with sharper, higher-resolution images.

"They upgraded to an HDTV."

Image Maximum — a large-screen, high-resolution cinema format.

"We saw the film in IMAX."

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response — a tingling relaxation some feel from soft sounds.

"She watches ASMR videos to fall asleep."

Point Of View — the perspective from which something is seen or filmed.

"The clip was shot from a first-person POV."

Estimated Time of Departure — when something is expected to leave.

"The flight's ETD is 6 p.m."

Pacific Standard Time — the time zone of the US west coast.

"The webinar starts at 9 a.m. PST."

Central Standard Time — a central US time zone.

"Chicago runs on CST."

To Be Determined — not yet decided.

"The venue is still TBD."

To Be Announced — details will be shared later.

"The lineup is TBA."

Thank Goodness It's Friday — relief that the work week is ending.

"TGIF — let's grab dinner tonight."

Post-Postscript — a note added after a postscript.

"PPS: don't forget to bring the charger."

Universal Product Code — the barcode used to identify retail products.

"The cashier scanned the UPC."

Video Home System — the once-dominant home videotape format.

"We still have old movies on VHS."

Bring Your Own Device — a policy letting staff use personal phones or laptops for work.

"The office has a BYOD policy."

Cathode Ray Tube — the bulky display technology used before flat screens.

"Old TVs used a heavy CRT."

Learning Management System — software for delivering online courses.

"Assignments are posted on the school's LMS."

Point Of Sale — the place or system where a sale is completed.

"The cafe upgraded its POS terminal."

Personal Digital Assistant — an early handheld organizer device.

"Before smartphones, people carried a PDA."

Service Set Identifier — the name of a Wi-Fi network.

"Select your home SSID from the list."

Top-Level Domain — the last part of a web address, like .com.

"The .org TLD is popular with nonprofits."

Uniform Resource Identifier — a string that identifies a resource online.

"Every page has a unique URI."

Red, Green, Blue — the color model used by screens.

"Set the text color using RGB values."

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (black) — the color model used in printing.

"Convert the artwork to CMYK before printing."

Dots Per Inch — a measure of print or scan resolution.

"Print photos at 300 DPI for crisp detail."

Digital Single-Lens Reflex — a camera using a mirror and interchangeable lenses.

"She shoots weddings with a DSLR."

Exchangeable Image File Format — metadata stored inside photo files.

"The EXIF data shows when the photo was taken."

Uninterruptible Power Supply — a battery backup that keeps devices running during outages.

"A UPS kept the server on during the blackout."

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning — a building's climate-control system.

"The HVAC system keeps the office comfortable."

Geographic Information System — software for mapping and analyzing location data.

"Planners use GIS to map flood zones."

Computer-Aided Design — software for creating technical drawings and models.

"The part was modeled in CAD."

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

"NASA landed the Perseverance rover on Mars in 2021."

Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

"He got his SCUBA licence on holiday in Egypt."

Radio Detection and Ranging

"The storm showed up clearly on the weather radar."

Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

"The surgeon used a laser to repair her retina."

Sound Navigation and Ranging

"The submarine used sonar to map the sea floor."

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

"Several countries joined NATO after the war."

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

"The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site."

United Nations Children’s Fund

"UNICEF delivered vaccines to the remote villages."

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

"OPEC agreed to cut oil production this year."

Special Weapons and Tactics

"A SWAT team surrounded the building."

President of the United States

"POTUS will address the nation tonight."

Supreme Court of the United States

"SCOTUS issued its ruling on Monday."

Personal Identification Number

"Never share your bank PIN with anyone."

Subscriber Identity Module

"She swapped the SIM card into her new phone."

Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart

"Tick the box to prove you are human in the CAPTCHA."

Graphics Interchange Format

"He replied to the message with a funny GIF."

Zone Improvement Plan

"Enter your ZIP code to find local stores."

Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle

"The officer was trained to use a Taser safely."

Random Access Memory

"Adding more RAM made the laptop much faster."

Read-Only Memory

"The settings are stored in the device’s ROM."

Modulator-Demodulator

"Restart the modem if the internet drops."

International Criminal Police Organization

"Interpol issued a red notice for the suspect."

Fédération Internationale de Football Association

"FIFA organises the football World Cup."

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations

"The tech firm is listed on the NASDAQ."

Absent Without Leave

"The soldier went AWOL for three days."

What You See Is What You Get

"The editor is WYSIWYG, so the page prints exactly as shown."

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound

"Set SMART goals you can actually track."

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

"The team ran a SWOT analysis before the launch."

Defense Readiness Condition

"The film shows the military raising the DEFCON level."

Prisoner of War

"The POWs were released after the treaty."

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

"AIDS is caused by the HIV virus."

Joint Photographic Experts Group

"Save the photo as a JPEG to keep the file small."

Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code

"Many people learned to program in BASIC."

Common Business-Oriented Language

"Some banks still run on COBOL systems."

Formula Translation

"Scientists once wrote simulations in FORTRAN."

Not In My Back Yard

"Locals took a NIMBY stance against the new airport."

Situation Normal: All Fouled Up

"The whole launch was a complete SNAFU."

Graphical User Interface

"A good GUI makes software easy to use."

Disk Operating System

"Old PCs booted into DOS before Windows."

Light Detection and Ranging

"Self-driving cars use LIDAR to sense the road."

Coronavirus Disease

"Schools closed during the COVID pandemic."

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

"SARS first appeared in 2002."

Positron Emission Tomography

"A PET scan showed how the brain was working."

Test of English as a Foreign Language

"She sat the TOEFL to study in the US."

International English Language Testing System

"He scored well on the IELTS exam."

North American Free Trade Agreement

"NAFTA linked the economies of three countries."

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

"ASEAN held its summit in Jakarta."

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa

"BRICS represents several major emerging economies."

Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction

"Use PEMDAS to solve the equation in the right order."

Brackets, Orders, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction

"In the UK, pupils learn BODMAS for order of operations."

Software as a Service

"The company sells its app on a SaaS subscription."

Search Engine Optimization

"Good SEO helps a website rank higher on Google."

America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response

"An AMBER Alert was issued for the missing child."

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

"MADD campaigns for tougher drink-driving laws."

Wide Area Network

"The offices are linked by a WAN."

Local Area Network

"They set up a LAN for the gaming party."

Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization

"Investors looked at the firm’s EBITDA."

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

"OCD can make everyday routines very stressful."

Picture + Art (coined studio name)

"Pixar makes computer-animated films."

Geheime Staatspolizei (German: Secret State Police)

"The Gestapo was the secret police of Nazi Germany."

Time And Relative Dimension In Space

"The Doctor travels through time in the TARDIS."

Glavnoe Upravlenie Lagerei (Russian: Main Camp Administration)

"Prisoners were sent to the gulag."

National Biscuit Company

"Nabisco makes well-known biscuits and crackers."

Government Employees Insurance Company

"GEICO is a large US car insurer."

Federal Insurance Contributions Act

"FICA taxes fund Social Security and Medicare."

Fair Isaac Corporation

"Lenders check your FICO credit score."

Non-Expanding Recreational Foam

"Nerf toys fire soft foam darts."

Technology Without An Interesting Name

"Scanners often use the TWAIN standard."

You Only Live Once

"He booked the trip on a yolo whim."

Pay As You Go

"She is on a paygo phone plan."

Foreign Exchange

"He trades currencies on the forex market."

Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg

"The Benelux countries cooperate closely."

Mercado Común del Sur (Southern Common Market)

"Mercosur is a South American trade bloc."

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps

"Anzac Day honours the fallen."

Not AND (logic gate)

"Flash memory often uses NAND chips."

Portable Network Graphics

"Save the logo as a PNG for a clear background."

Fouled Up Beyond All Recognition

"The schedule was completely fubar."

Oxford Committee for Famine Relief

"Oxfam runs charity shops worldwide."

Anti-Social Behaviour Order

"He was given an asbo by the court."

America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response

"An Amber Alert was issued."

Nickel-Cadmium (battery)

"Old tools used nicad batteries."

Dual Income, No Kids

"They are a dink household with lots of savings."

Young Urban Professional

"The café is popular with yuppies."

Middle-Aged Man In Lycra

"The route was full of mamils on road bikes."

Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale

"Pay by card using eftpos."

Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration

"The newborn scored well on the Apgar test."

Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis

"She had Lasik surgery to correct her sight."

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

"He earned a Tesol certificate."

Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults

"A Celta helps you teach English abroad."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

"Peta campaigns against animal cruelty."

Yes In My Back Yard

"Yimby groups support new housing."

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

"He got a Tefl job in Spain."

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

"Plain text files use ascii."

Basic Input/Output System

"Press a key to enter the bios."

Dynamic Random-Access Memory

"The module uses dram chips."

Costume Play

"Fans came in cosplay of their heroes."

Waste Of Money, Brains And Time

"That meeting was a real wombat."

Buy One, Get One Free

"The shop had a bogof deal."

Federal Bureau of Investigation

"The FBI opened an investigation into the case."

Central Intelligence Agency

"The CIA gathers foreign intelligence."

Automated Teller Machine

"I withdrew some cash from the ATM."

Portable Document Format

"Please send the report as a PDF."

HyperText Markup Language

"Every web page is built with HTML."

Uniform Resource Locator

"Copy the URL and paste it into your browser."

Do It Yourself

"They renovated the kitchen as a DIY project."

Frequently Asked Questions

"Check the FAQ before contacting support."

Chief Executive Officer

"The CEO announced record profits."

Chief Financial Officer

"The CFO presented the annual budget."

Global Positioning System

"The GPS guided us to the hotel."

Universal Serial Bus

"Plug the drive into the USB port."

Répondez s’il vous plaît (French: please reply)

"Please RSVP by Friday if you can attend."

Estimated Time of Arrival

"Our ETA is around 6 p.m."

Very Important Person

"The band met their fans in the VIP lounge."

Deoxyribonucleic Acid

"DNA carries the genetic code of living things."

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

"She performed CPR until the ambulance arrived."

Intensive Care Unit

"He spent two nights in the ICU after surgery."

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

"The doctor ordered an MRI of his knee."

Unidentified Flying Object

"They claimed to have seen a UFO in the sky."

World Health Organization

"The WHO issued new health guidelines."

Non-Governmental Organization

"The NGO provides clean water to rural areas."

Curriculum Vitae

"Attach your CV to the job application."

Doctor of Philosophy

"She earned a PhD in chemistry."

Intelligence Quotient

"The test measures a narrow idea of IQ."

British Broadcasting Corporation

"The documentary aired on the BBC."

Digital Versatile Disc

"They watched the film on DVD."

Light-Emitting Diode

"We replaced the bulbs with LED lights."

International Standard Book Number

"Every book has a unique ISBN."

Virtual Private Network

"He used a VPN to secure his connection."

Central Processing Unit

"The CPU is the brain of the computer."

Artificial Intelligence

"AI tools can draft text in seconds."

European Union

"The EU has 27 member states."

United Nations

"The UN was founded in 1945."

Date of Birth

"Write your DOB at the top of the form."

Point of Contact

"She is our main POC for the project."

Key Performance Indicator

"Sales growth is our main KPI this quarter."

Gross Domestic Product

"The country’s GDP grew by three percent."

Consumer Price Index

"The CPI measures the cost of everyday goods."

Return on Investment

"The campaign delivered a strong ROI."

Annual Percentage Rate

"Compare the APR before taking out a loan."

Human Resources

"Ask HR about your holiday entitlement."

Information Technology

"Call the IT department if your laptop crashes."

Application Programming Interface

"The app pulls weather data through an API."

Internet Service Provider

"Contact your ISP if the connection drops."

Virtual Reality

"She explored the museum in VR."

Augmented Reality

"The app uses AR to place furniture in your room."

Operating System

"Update your OS to get the latest features."

Internet Protocol

"Every device has its own IP address."

Public Relations

"The firm hired a PR agency to manage its image."

Also Known As

"Samuel Clemens, AKA Mark Twain, wrote the novel."

Carbon Copy

"Please CC me on that email."

Blind Carbon Copy

"Use BCC to hide the other recipients."

HyperText Transfer Protocol

"Web addresses usually begin with HTTP."

HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure

"Look for HTTPS before entering card details."

World Wide Web

"The WWW was invented by Tim Berners-Lee."

Graphics Processing Unit

"Gamers need a powerful GPU."

Solid State Drive

"An SSD makes your computer boot much faster."

Hard Disk Drive

"The old HDD stored all her photos."

High-Definition Multimedia Interface

"Connect the laptop to the TV with an HDMI cable."

Liquid Crystal Display

"The monitor has a sharp LCD screen."

Organic Light-Emitting Diode

"OLED screens show deep, rich blacks."

Personal Computer

"He built his own gaming PC."

Television

"They watched the match on TV."

Compact Disc

"She still keeps her old music on CD."

Electric Vehicle

"More drivers are switching to an EV."

Miles Per Hour

"The speed limit here is 30 mph."

Revolutions Per Minute

"The engine revs at 3,000 RPM."

Short Message Service

"She sent a quick SMS to confirm."

Quick Response

"Scan the QR code to see the menu."

Near Field Communication

"Tap to pay uses NFC."

Two-Factor Authentication

"Turn on 2FA to protect your account."

One-Time Password

"Enter the OTP sent to your phone."

United Kingdom

"London is the capital of the UK."

United States of America

"The USA has fifty states."

United Arab Emirates

"Dubai is a city in the UAE."

World Trade Organization

"The WTO settles trade disputes."

International Monetary Fund

"The IMF lent money to the struggling economy."

National Security Agency

"The NSA handles signals intelligence."

National Health Service

"The NHS provides free care in the UK."

Social Security Number

"In the US you need an SSN to work."

Vehicle Identification Number

"Check the VIN before buying a used car."

Emergency Room

"He was rushed to the ER after the fall."

General Practitioner

"Book an appointment with your GP."

Blood Pressure

"The nurse checked his BP."

Personal Protective Equipment

"Nurses wore full PPE during the outbreak."

Electrocardiogram

"The EKG recorded his heartbeat."

Identification

"You need a photo ID to board the flight."

Master of Business Administration

"She earned an MBA before starting the company."

Bachelor of Arts

"He graduated with a BA in History."

Bachelor of Science

"She holds a BSc in Biology."

Emotional Quotient

"Good leaders often have a high EQ."

Sport Utility Vehicle

"They bought an SUV for the family."

All-Terrain Vehicle

"We rented an ATV for the desert trip."

Customer Relationship Management

"The sales team logs calls in the CRM."

Enterprise Resource Planning

"The factory runs on an ERP system."

Business-to-Business

"Their B2B clients are mostly factories."

Business-to-Consumer

"The shop added a B2C website."

Stock Keeping Unit

"Each product has its own SKU."

Initial Public Offering

"The startup filed for an IPO."

Non-Disclosure Agreement

"Sign the NDA before the meeting."

Service Level Agreement

"The SLA guarantees 99% uptime."

Objectives and Key Results

"The team set OKRs for the quarter."

Minimum Viable Product

"They launched an MVP to test the idea."

Return on Equity

"Investors check the firm’s ROE."

Return on Assets

"A higher ROA shows efficient use of assets."

Earnings Per Share

"The company’s EPS beat forecasts."

Year To Date

"Sales are up 10% YTD."

Year Over Year

"Revenue grew 5% YoY."

Compound Annual Growth Rate

"The market’s CAGR is about 8%."

Net Present Value

"The project has a positive NPV."

Internal Rate of Return

"The fund targets a 12% IRR."

Cost Of Goods Sold

"Lower COGS improved the margin."

Click-Through Rate

"The ad had a high CTR."

Cost Per Click

"We pay a low CPC for search ads."

Cost Per Mille (thousand impressions)

"The banner costs £5 CPM."

Call To Action

"Add a clear CTA button."

Unique Selling Point

"Free delivery is their USP."

Request For Proposal

"The city issued an RFP for the bridge."

Request For Quotation

"We sent an RFQ to three suppliers."

Purchase Order

"Raise a PO before ordering."

Paid Time Off

"She booked a week of PTO."

Full-Time Equivalent

"The team has five FTEs."

Value Added Tax

"Prices include VAT."

Goods and Services Tax

"GST applies to most purchases."

Internal Revenue Service

"File your taxes with the IRS."

Automated Clearing House

"Payroll is paid by ACH transfer."

International Bank Account Number

"Enter the IBAN for the transfer."

Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication

"International payments use the SWIFT code."

Annual Recurring Revenue

"The SaaS firm passed £1m ARR."

Monthly Recurring Revenue

"MRR grows with each new subscriber."

Total Addressable Market

"Investors asked about the TAM."

Profit and Loss

"The manager reviews the P&L monthly."

Fiscal Year

"Results improved in FY 2025."

End Of Month

"Invoices are due at EOM."

Structured Query Language

"He wrote a SQL query to find the data."

Cascading Style Sheets

"CSS controls how the page looks."

JavaScript Object Notation

"The API returns data in JSON."

Extensible Markup Language

"The feed is formatted in XML."

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor

"The site is built in PHP."

Software Development Kit

"Download the SDK to build the app."

Integrated Development Environment

"She codes in a popular IDE."

Command-Line Interface

"Install it from the CLI."

User Interface

"The app has a clean UI."

User Experience

"Good UX keeps users happy."

Object-Oriented Programming

"Java is an OOP language."

Create, Read, Update, Delete

"The app does basic CRUD operations."

Domain Name System

"DNS turns names into IP addresses."

Internet of Things

"Smart bulbs are IoT devices."

Machine Learning

"The app uses ML to suggest songs."

Content Delivery Network

"Images load fast from a CDN."

Secure Sockets Layer

"SSL encrypts the connection."

Transport Layer Security

"Modern sites use TLS."

File Transfer Protocol

"Upload the files via FTP."

Secure Shell

"Connect to the server with SSH."

Transmission Control Protocol

"TCP ensures data arrives in order."

User Datagram Protocol

"Streaming often uses UDP."

Media Access Control (address)

"Every network card has a MAC address."

Radio-Frequency Identification

"The badge uses an RFID chip."

Long-Term Evolution

"The phone connects over 4G LTE."

Fifth Generation (mobile network)

"The city now has 5G coverage."

Scalable Vector Graphics

"Logos are saved as SVG for sharp scaling."

MPEG Audio Layer III

"She saved the song as an MP3."

MPEG-4 (video format)

"Export the clip as an MP4."

Really Simple Syndication

"Subscribe to the blog’s RSS feed."

Document Object Model

"JavaScript can change the DOM."

Content Management System

"The blog runs on a CMS."

Platform as a Service

"They build on a PaaS provider."

Infrastructure as a Service

"The servers run on IaaS."

Food and Drug Administration

"The FDA approved the new drug."

Environmental Protection Agency

"The EPA sets pollution limits."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

"The CDC tracks outbreaks."

Federal Emergency Management Agency

"FEMA responded to the hurricane."

Transportation Security Administration

"The TSA screens airport passengers."

Department of Motor Vehicles

"Renew your licence at the DMV."

Department of Justice

"The DOJ filed charges."

Department of Defense

"The DOD oversees the armed forces."

Department of Homeland Security

"The DHS coordinates border security."

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

"The ATF regulates firearms."

Drug Enforcement Administration

"The DEA targets drug trafficking."

United States Department of Agriculture

"The USDA grades beef."

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

"NOAA issues storm warnings."

Federal Aviation Administration

"The FAA certifies new aircraft."

Federal Communications Commission

"The FCC regulates broadcasting."

Federal Trade Commission

"The FTC polices unfair ads."

Securities and Exchange Commission

"The SEC regulates the stock market."

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

"OSHA sets workplace safety rules."

National Institutes of Health

"The NIH funds medical research."

National Science Foundation

"The NSF backs scientific studies."

World Wide Fund for Nature

"The WWF protects endangered species."

International Olympic Committee

"The IOC chooses the host city."

Union of European Football Associations

"UEFA runs the Champions League."

National Collegiate Athletic Association

"The NCAA governs college sports."

International Atomic Energy Agency

"The IAEA inspects nuclear sites."

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

"UNHCR helps displaced people."

World Food Programme

"The WFP delivers food aid."

Missing In Action

"The soldier was listed as MIA."

Killed In Action

"The memorial honours those KIA."

Rocket-Propelled Grenade

"The vehicle was hit by an RPG."

Improvised Explosive Device

"The convoy avoided an IED."

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps

"She joined ROTC at university."

Headquarters

"Orders came from HQ."

Demilitarized Zone

"The border runs through the DMZ."

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

"The UAV surveyed the area."

Intercontinental Ballistic Missile

"The treaty limits ICBMs."

North American Aerospace Defense Command

"NORAD tracks objects in the sky."

Electrocardiogram

"The ECG showed a steady heartbeat."

Computed Tomography

"The CT scan revealed the injury."

Operating Room

"The patient was taken to the OR."

Intravenous

"She was put on an IV drip."

Body Mass Index

"The doctor calculated his BMI."

Do Not Resuscitate

"The chart had a DNR order."

Registered Nurse

"She qualified as an RN."

Doctor of Medicine

"He is an MD at the city hospital."

Emergency Medical Technician

"The EMT treated the patient on scene."

Emergency Medical Services

"Call EMS in an emergency."

Human Immunodeficiency Virus

"HIV attacks the immune system."

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

"He was diagnosed with ADHD."

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

"Therapy helped her PTSD."

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

"Diet changes eased his IBS."

Urinary Tract Infection

"Antibiotics cleared the UTI."

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

"Smoking worsens COPD."

Beats Per Minute

"Her heart rate was 70 bpm."

Complete Blood Count

"The CBC checks your blood cells."

Ear, Nose and Throat

"She saw an ENT specialist."

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

"She booked an OB-GYN appointment."

Grade Point Average

"He kept a high GPA."

Scholastic Assessment Test

"She studied for the SAT."

American College Testing

"He took the ACT in autumn."

Graduate Record Examination

"The GRE is needed for many grad programs."

Graduate Management Admission Test

"Business schools require the GMAT."

Law School Admission Test

"She aced the LSAT."

Medical College Admission Test

"The MCAT is tough."

English as a Second Language

"He joined an ESL class."

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

"The school promotes STEM subjects."

Master of Arts

"She holds an MA in English."

Master of Science

"He earned an MSc in Physics."

Advanced Placement

"She took three AP classes."

International Baccalaureate

"He studied the IB diploma."

Parent-Teacher Association

"The PTA raised funds for the trip."

Individualized Education Program

"The pupil has an IEP."

Ribonucleic Acid

"RNA carries genetic instructions."

Adenosine Triphosphate

"Cells use ATP for energy."

Ultraviolet

"Sun cream blocks UV rays."

Carbon Dioxide

"Trees absorb CO2."

Alternating Current

"Homes are wired for AC."

Direct Current

"Batteries supply DC."

Horsepower

"The engine makes 300 HP."

Pounds per Square Inch

"Inflate the tyre to 32 PSI."

British Thermal Unit

"The heater is rated in BTUs."

Rest In Peace

"The headstone read “RIP”."

Postscript

"PS: don’t forget the keys."

Ante Meridiem (before noon)

"The train leaves at 7 AM."

Greenwich Mean Time

"The call is at 3 PM GMT."

Coordinated Universal Time

"Servers log times in UTC."

Eastern Standard Time

"The show airs at 8 PM EST."

Bring Your Own Bottle

"The party is BYOB."

American Sign Language

"She is fluent in ASL."

Post Office Box

"Send it to our PO Box."

New York City

"They flew to NYC for the weekend."