Common Acronyms

Are you looking for the common acronyms? Acronyms are similar to abbreviations, in that they are a shorthand way of expressing an idea. However, unlike an abbreviation which may just be a shortened version of a word, (i.e. Mon. is short for Monday) acronyms have to stand for something. In other words, the first letter of other words or phrases come together to create acronyms. Here are lists of some of the most common acronyms in the English language.

Common Acronyms Used in Chat

Acroynms are used across every industry, in all walks of life. The world of texting and instant messaging has given rise to a whole new series of acroynms. Check these out and see if you can deciper what they mean.

1. AFK – Away From Keyboard
2. BRB – Be Right Back
3. BBIAB – Be Back In A Bit
4. BBL – Be Back Later
5. TTFN – Ta Ta For Now
6. BBS – Be Back Soon
7. BTW – By The Way
8. HAGN – Have A Good Night
9. KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid
10. KIT – Keep In Touch
11. EG – Evil Grin
12. BEG – Big Evil Grin
13. NYOB – None of Your Business
14. OMG – Oh My God
15. PM – Private Message
16. POS – Parents Over Shoulder
17. TTYL – Talk To You Later
18. LTNS – Long Time No See
19. SSDD – Same Sh$% Different Day
20. IDK- I don't know

Common Acronyms Used in Military/Government

Understanding what is being said in a government or official setting can be difficult. Here are 20 common acroynms used in government and military settings.

1. AWOL – Absent Without Leave
2. JROTC – Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps
3. MIA – Missing In Action
4. POW – Prisoner of War
5. DAFB – Dover Air Force Base
6. SWAT – Special Weapons And Tactics
7. Navy SEALs – Navy Sea Air Land forces
8. APB – All Points Bulletin
9. FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation
10. OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Administration
11. CIA – Central Intelligence Agency
12. NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
13. USSR – Union of Soviet Socialist Republic
14. USA – United States of America
15. NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement
16. DelDOT – Delaware Department of Transportation
17. DMV – Division of Motor Vehicles
18. CPS – Child Protective Services
19. RNC – Republican National Committee
20. CSI – Crime Scene Investigation

Common Acronyms Used in Appreciation

When you want to say the right thing or express your love and appreciation but you are in a hurry, these twenty acronyms can get your point across in just a few letters.

1. LOL – Laughing Out Loud
2. LYLAB – Love You Like A Brother
3. LYLAS – Love You Like A Sister
4. GMTA – Great Minds Think Alike
5. ROFL – Rolling On Floor Laughing
6. LMAO- Laughing my a$s off
7. TY – Thank You
8. TYVM – Thank You Very Much
9. YW – Your Welcome
10. NP – No Problem
11. WTG – Way To Go
12. PHAT – Pretty, Hot, And Tempting
13. BF – Boyfriend
14. GF – Girlfriend
15. GJ – Good Job
16. SWAK – Sealed With A Kiss
17. BF – Best Friend
18. BFF – Best Friends Forever
19. BFFL – Best Friends For Life
20. Gr8- Great

Common Informative Acronyms

Sometimes an acronym can be very useful at giving you advice or essential information. Informative acronyms are used in the medical field, but they certainly aren't exclusive to health-related subjects, as this list shows.

1. DOA – Dead On Arrival
2. AIDS - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
3. HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus
4. DARE – Drug Abuse Resistance Education
5. ADD – Attention Deficit Disorder
6. ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
7. DOB – Date Of Birth
8. OTC – Over The Counter
9. CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
10. ASAP – As Soon As Possible
11. FYI – For Your Information
12. EST – Eastern Standard Time
13. PST – Pacific Standard Time
14. CST – Central Standard Time
15. PPV – Pay Per View
16. SSN – Social Security Number
17. JIT – Just In Time
18. ADL- Activities of Daily Living
19. AMA- Against Medical Advice
20. MD- Medical Doctor

Common Acronyms Used in Industry

Acronyms are often used in the business world, to idenitfy a business or to create shorthand communication between co-workers.

1. AKA – Also Known As
2. DBA – Doing Business As
3. DND – Do Not Disturb
4. MBA – Masters of Business Administration
5. OT – Overtime
6. POS – Point Of Service
7. DAEMON – Disk And Execution Monitor
8. HR – Human Resources
9. POP – Post Office Protocol
10. TNT – Tuner Network Television
11. TBC – To Be Continued
12. TBN – Trinity Broadcasting Network
13. ESPN – Entertainment and Sports Programming Network
14. CBS – Columbia Broadcasting System
15. MTV – Music Television
16. NBC – National Broadcasting Company
17. ABS – Anti-lock Breaking System
18. ABC – American Broadcasting Company
19. PBS – Public Broadcasting Service
20. UFO – Unidentified Flying Object

Common Acronyms Used as Identity

Some acronyms identify who you are.

1. NFL – National Football League
2. AFL – American Football League
3. NBA – National Basketball Association
4. NHL – National Hockey League
5. AA – Alcoholics Anonymous
6. AARP – American Association of Retired Persons
7. MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving
8. PGA – Professional Golfer’s Association
9. SWM – Single White Male
10. SWF – Single White Female
11. APA – American Psychological Association
12. MLA – Modern Language Association
13. ACS – American Cancer Society
14. AMA – American Medical Association
15. ADA – American Dental Association
16. FLAG – Foreign Language Association of Georgia
17. PAWS – Progressive Animal Welfare Society
18. WWE – World Wrestling Entertainment
19. SPCA – Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
20. AAAS – American Association for the Advancement of Science