Acronym & Abbreviation Finder
Look up what an acronym or abbreviation stands for — 220+ common ones from business, finance, tech, texting, medicine, government and everyday English.
How to use
- 1Type an acronym (like KPI or TL;DR) or a word from its meaning in the filter box.
- 2Read the meaning and the field it's used in.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation?
An abbreviation is any shortened form (etc., Dr.). An acronym is formed from initials and spoken as a word (NASA, GIF); an initialism is read letter by letter (FBI, HTML). In everyday use, “acronym” covers both.
Why do some have two meanings?
Many acronyms are reused across fields — CPA is an accountant in finance but Cost Per Acquisition in marketing. Context tells you which one is meant.
Should I write acronyms with periods?
Modern style (AP, Chicago) drops the periods in most all-caps acronyms — NASA, FBI, CEO — but keeps them in some lowercase abbreviations like e.g., i.e. and a.m.