Today’s your lucky day. We’ve rounded up abbreviations for the most commonly used terms that you’re likely to run into at work (or more likely, in an email).
As a rule of thumb, it’s best not to use acronyms with your superiors (unless they have told you they prefer it, of course!) If you’re talking to a coworker, it’s generally okay to use acronyms and abbreviations.
Better yet, they’re categorized by department, so you can prep before a meeting with your finance, technical, or marketing teams.
We've collected common business acronyms, abbreviations, jargon and business terms:
General acronyms
- A/C or ACCT.: Account
- Approx: Approximately
- ATTN.: (for the) attention (of)
- Attn: Attention
- B/E: Bill of exchange
- B/L: Bill of lading
- BAT: Business Action Theory
- BCC: Blind Copied
- BID: Break it down
- BIMS: Business Information Management Suite
- BPC: Business Planning Cycle
- C/N: Credit note
- C/O: Care of
- CC: Carbon copy
- CF.: Compare
- CFR.: Cost and freight
- CIF: Cost, insurance, freight
- CIP: Carriage and insurance paid to
- COB: Close of business
- COD: Cash on delivery
- CORP.: Corporation
- CPT: Carriage paid to
- CWO: Cash with order
- D/A: Documents against acceptance
- D/P: Documents against payment
- DDP: Delivery duty paid
- DN: Debit note
- DP: Automated Data Processing
- ENC(s): Enclosure(s)
- EOD: End of day
- EOM: End of message
- EOT: End of thread
- EOW: End of week
- ETA: Estimated time of arrival
- EXP: Export
- EXW: Ex works
- FOB: Free on board
- FOR: Free on rail
- FTE: Full-time employee
- FWIW: For what it’s worth
- GDP: Gross Domestic Product
- GMP: Good Manufacturing Practices
- IAM: In a meeting
- IMO: In my opinion
- INC.: Incorporated (US)
- L/C: Letter of credit
- LET: Leaving early today
- LMK: Let me know
- Ltd: Limited
- MoM: Month over month
- MTD: Month to date
- NIM: No internal message
- NRN: No reply necessary
- NSFW: Not safe for work
- NWR: Not work related
- OOO: Out of office
- OT: Off topic
- OTP: On the phone
- P&P: Postage and packing
- P.P.*: On behalf of
- PA: Performance appraisal
- Pls: Please
- POC: Point of contact
- PTE: Part-time employee
- PTO: Paid time off
- PTO: Please turn over
- Qty: Quantity
- Re: Referring to
- RE: With reference to, regarding
- RFD: Request for discussion
- RRP: Recommended retail price
- SAE: Stamped addresses envelope
- SMART: Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound
- SME: Subject matter expert
- TBD: To Be Determined
- TED: Tell me, explain to me, describe to me
- Thx: Thanks
- TL;DR: Too long, didn’t read
- TLTR: Too long to read
- TOS: Terms of service
- Trd: Trade
- Trnsfr: Transfer
- Ttl: Total
- TYT: Take your time
- Unltd: Unlimited
- Utlztn: Utilization
- VAT: Value Added Tax
- W/O: Without
- WFH: Work from home
- Whol.: Wholesale
- WIIFM: What’s in it for me
- WOM: Word of mouth
- Wrkshp: Workshop
- Wrldwd: Worldwide
- Wst: Waste
- YTD: Year to date
- ZIP (code): Zone of improved delivery (US)
Legal acronyms
- HQ: Headquarters
- Inc.: Incorporated
- IPO: Initial Public Offering
- LBO: Limited Buy Out
- Ltd.: Limited Company
- LLC: Limited Liability Corporation
Finance acronyms
- A/R: Accounts Receivable
- ACCG: Accounting
- ACCT: Account
- ACR: Accrual
- ACV: Actual Cash Value
- AGI: Adjusted Gross Income
- AGR: Adjusted Gross Revenue
- AIR: Assumed Interest Rate
- AP: Accounts Payable
- APR: Annual Percentage Rate
- ARM: Adjustable Rate Mortgage
- B&C: Bonds and Coupons
- BGT: Budget
- BS: Balance Sheet
- CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate
- CAP: Capital
- CAPEX: Capital Expenditures
- CD: Certificate of Deposit
- CF: Cash flow
- CL, LTL: Liabilities (current and long-term)
- COB: Close of Business
- COGS: Cost of Goods Sold
- CPA: Certified Public Accountant
- CR: Credit
- DR: Debit
- EA: Enrolled Agent
- EFT: Electronic Funds Transfer
- EPS: Earnings Per Share
- ETF: Exchange Traded Funds
- FA, CA: Assets (fixed and current)
- FDIC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- FIFO: First In, First Out
- FOREX: Foreign Exchange
- FRB: Federal Reserve Board
- GAAP: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
- GL: General Ledger
- GNP: Gross National Product
- GP: Gross Profit
- IRA: Individual Retirement Account
- LC: Letter of Credit
- LIFO: Last In, First Out
- LLC: Limited Liability Company
- LOI: Letter Of Intent
- MMKT: Money Market
- MTD: Month-to-Date
- NAV: Net Asset Value
- NCND: Non-Circumvent and Non-Disclosure
- NDA: Non-Disclosure Agreement
- NI: Net Income
- NYSE: New York Stock Exchange
- OC: Opportunity Cost
- OE: Equity and Owner’s Equity
- P&L: Profit and Loss
- P/E: Price to Earnings Ratio
- PC: Percent
- Pd: Paid
- PSP: Profit Sharing Plan
- PV: Present Value
- QTD: Quarter-to-Date
- Re or RE: In Reference to, Retained Earnings
- REIT: Real Estate Investment Trust
- ROA: Return On Assets
- ROCE: Return On Capital Employed
- ROE: Return On Equity
- ROI: Return on Investment
- ROIC: Return on Invested Capital
- RONA: Return On Net Assets
- ROS: Return on Sales
- SEC: Securities Exchange Commission
- SIV: Structured Investment Vehicle
- TSA: Tax-Sheltered Annuity
- TSR: Total Shareholder Return
- WC: Working Capital
- YTD: Year-to-Date
- YTM: Yield To Maturity
Productivity abbreviations
- GTD: Getting Things Done
- MITs: Most Important Things
- OHIO: Only Handle It Once
- GPP: Gross Primary Productivity
- HPCS: High Productivity Computing Systems
- SDP: Software Design and Productivity
- PI: Productivity Index
- PLB: Productivity Linked Bonus
- PC: Productivity Commission
- SPR: Software Productivity Research
Technicians acronyms
- API: Application program interface
- CPU: Central Processing Unit
- CSS: Cascading Style Sheet
- FTP: File Transport Protocol
- HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language
- HTTP: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol
- HTTPS: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure
- IM: Instant Messaging
- IP: Internet Protocol
- ISP: Internet Service Provider
- OS: Operating System
- QA: Quality Assurance
- RAM: Random-access memory
- ROR: Ruby on Rails
- RSS: Rich site summary or really simple syndication
- UI: User Interface
- URL: Universal resource locator
- UX: User experience
- VPN: Virtual private network
- WYSIWYG: What you see is what you get
Marketing and sales acronyms
- AIDA: Attention, interest, desire, action
- B2B: Business to business
- B2C: Business to consumer
- BR: Bounce rate
- CMS: Content management system
- CPC: Cost per click
- CTA: Call to action
- CTR: Click through rate
- CR: Conversion rate
- CRM: Customer relationship management
- DM: Direct message or direct mail
- ESP: Email service provider
- GA: Google Analytics
- KPI: Key performance indicator
- PPC: Pay per click
- PV: Page view
- RFP: Request for proposal
- ROS: Run of site
- RT: Retweet
- SaaS: Software as a service
- SEO: Search engine optimization
- SM: Social media
- SMB: Small to medium business
- SWOT: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
- UV: Unique visitor
Attendance, time tracking and start up acronyms
- AA: Attendance Allowance
- ADA: Average Daily Attendance
- AMS: Attendance Management System
- ATAAPS: Automated Time, Attendance, and Production System
- COA: Cost of Attendance
- CTT: Critical Time Tracking
- FR: Face Recognition
- MVP: Minimum viable product
- R&D: Research & Development
- RTT: Real Time Tracking
- RTTS: Real Time Tracking System
- SaaS: Software-as-a-Service
- SEO: Search Engine Optimization
- SME: Small / Medium Enterprise
- SMM: Social Media Marketing
- SU: Start Up
- SUE: Start Up and Expansion
- SUP: Start Up Program
- TLD: Top Level Domain
- TRUE: Tracking Real-Time User Experience
- TTS: Time Tracking Software
- TTS: Time Tracking System
- UI: User Interface
Job titles and departments acronyms
- AA: Accounting Assistant
- AAMS: Accredited Asset Management Specialist
- AASA: Assistant Area Sales Advisor
- AAVP: Associate Administrator for Veterans Programs
- AB: Administrative Board
- ABA: Accredited Business Accountant
- ABCP: Associate Business Continuity Planner
- ABM: Area Business Manager
- ABR: Accredited Buyer’s Representative
- ABW: Activity Based Workplace
- AC: Academic Counselor
- ACC: Association Corporate Counsel
- AD: Assistant Deputy
- AD: Assistant Director
- ADAF: Associate Director of Administration and Finance
- ADC: Assistant District Commissioner
- ADI: Advanced Driving Instructor
- ADOF: Associate Director of Finance
- ADR: Associate Dean for Research
- ADRP: Assistant Director for Research and Planning
- ADU: Academic Development Unit
- AGT: Agent
- AM: Accounts Manager
- AM: Administration Manager
- BKPR: Bookkeeper
- CAO: Chief Accounting Officer
- CDO: Chief Data Officer
- CEO: Chief Executive Officer
- CFO: Chief Financial Officer
- CIO: Chief Information Officer
- CMO: Chief Marketing Officer
- COO: Chief Operating Officer
- CPA: Certified Public Accountant
- CTO: Chief Technology Officer
- Director R&D: Director of Research and Development
- HR Dept.: Human Resource Department
- HR: Human Resources
- HRM: Human Resource Manager
- IT Dept.: Information Technology Department
- PA: Personal Assistant
- PR Dept.: Public Relations Department
- PR: Public Relations
- PRO: Public Relations Officer
- QC: Quality Control
- R&D: Research and Development
- RMP: Risk Management Professional
- Secl: Secretarial
- Slsmn: Salesman
- STRATCOM: Strategic Communications
- Wrhse: Warehouse
- Wrkr: Worker
Social media and digital marketing acronyms
- AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
- AJAX: Asynchronous JavaScript And XML
- API: Application Program Interface
- ASP: Application Service Provider
- CLV: Customer Lifetime Value
- CMS: Content Management System
- CPA: Cost Per Acquisition / Action
- CPC: Cost Per Click
- CPL: Cost Per Lead
- CPM: Cost Per Thousand
- CPV: Cost Per View
- CR: Conversion Rate
- CRM: Customer Relationship Management
- CRO: Conversion Rate Optimisation
- CSS: Cascading Style Sheets
- CTA: Call To Action
- CTR: Click Through Rate
- CX: Customer Experience
- DM: Direct Mail (or ‘Direct message’, in Twitter circles)
- DMP: Data Management Platform
- DNS: Domain Name System
- ECPM: Effective CPM
- EPC: Earnings Per Click
- EPM: Earnings Per Thousand
- ESP: Email Service Provider
- FB: Facebook
- FTP: File Transfer Protocol
- GA: Google Analytics
- IM: Instant Messaging
- IMAP: Internet Message Access Protocol
- IP: Intellectual property (or ‘Internet Protocol’)
- IPTV: Internet Protocol Television
- ISP: Internet Service Provider
- KPI: Key Performance Indicator
- LTV: Lifetime Value
- MLM: Multilevel Marketing
- MoM: Month on Month
- MVT: Multivariate Testing
- OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer
- OS: Operating System (sometimes this is used for ‘open source’)
- PPC: Pay Per Click
- PPL: Pay Per Lead
- PPV: Pay Per View
- PR: Page Rank
- PV: Page Views
- QR Code: Quick Response Code
- QS: Quality Score
- RFI: Request For Information
- RON: Run of Network
- RT: Retweet
- RTB: Real Time Bidding
- RTD: Real Time Data
- SEM: Search Engine Marketing
- SEO: Search Engine Optimisation
- SERP: Search Engine Results Page
- SM: Social Media
- SME: Small / Medium Enterprise. (aka SMB = ‘business’)
- SMM: Social Media Marketing
- SMO: Social Media Optimisation
- SMP: Social Media Platform
- SMS: Short Message Service
- SOV: Share Of Voice
- TLD: Top Level Domain
- TOS: Terms Of Service
- UGC: User Generated Content
- UI: User Interface
- UV: Unique Visitor
- UX: User Experience
- VM: Viral Marketing
- VOD: Video On Demand
- WOMM: Word Of Mouth Marketing
Email acronyms
- 2M2H: Too Much To Handle
- 2MI: Too Much Information
- A/N: Author’s Note
- AEAP: As Early As Possible
- AFC: Away From Computer
- AFK: Away From Keyboard
- AMBW: All My Best Wishes
- APP: Application
- ASAP: As Soon As Possible
- ATEOTD: At The End Of The Day
- ATTN: Attention
- AWOL: Absent Without Leave
- AWOL: Away Without Leaving
- AYDY: Are You Done Yet?
- AYEC: At Your Earliest Convenience
- AYW: As You Want / As You Wish
- BTW: By The Way
- CHK: Check
- COB: Close Of Business
- EOD: End Of Day
- FYI: For Your Information
- GMTA: Great Minds Think Alike
- H2CUS: Hope To See You Soon
- HAG1: Have A Good One
- HAND: Have A Nice Day
- HAU: How About You?
- HF: Have Fun
- IAC: In Any Case
- IHNI: I Have No Idea
- IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
- IMO: In My Opinion
- JLMK: Just Let Me Know
- JW: Just Wondering
- KUTGW: Keep Up The Good Work
- N/A: Not Applicable
- OOTO: Out Of The Office
- PLMK: Please Let Me Know
- RSVP: Please Respond
- RUOK: Are you Okay?
- TBD: To Be Decided
- WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get
- YOY: Year Over Year
- YTD: Year To Date
Technology acronyms
- IP: Internet Protocol
- IETF: Internet Engineering Task Force
- ATM: Asynchronous Transfer Mode
- IT: Information Technology
- ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange
- LAN: Local Area Network
- SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol
- FTP: File Transfer Protocol
- WWW: World Wide Web
- DNS: Domain Name System
- PDF: Portable Document Format
- RF: Radio Frequency
- XML: Extensible Markup Language
- IANA: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
- SIP: Session Initiation Protocol
- ITU: International Telecommunication Union
- OSI: Open Systems Interconnection
- PSTN: Public Switched Telephone Network
- GUI: Graphical User Interface
- EDI: Electronic Data Interchange
- ISP: Internet Service Provider
- TCP: Transmission Control Protocol
- FDDI: Fiber Distributed Data Interface
- ISO: International Standards Organization
- UDP: User Datagram Protocol
- ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organization
- MAC: Media Access Control
- MTP: Message Transfer Part
- OS: Operating System
- BGP: Border Gateway Protocol
- OSPF: Open Shortest Path First
- QA: Quality Assurance
- SNA: Systems Network Architecture
- VPN: Virtual Private Network
- AIN: Advanced Intelligent Network
- API: Application Programming Interface
- ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning
- NTIS: National Technical Information Service
- RAM: Random Access Memory
- AI: Artificial Intelligence
- ARP: Address Resolution Protocol
- BRI: Basic Rate Interface
- CM: Configuration Management
- CO: Central Office
- DSL: Digital Subscriber Line
- PDU: Protocol Data Unit
- URL: Uniform Resource Locator
- ANI: Automatic Number Identification
- DES: Data Encryption Standard
- DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
- ITU: International Telecommunication Union
- SMS: Short Message Service
- WAP: Wireless Application Protocol
- AES: Advanced Encryption Standard
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References