An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or a phrase (group of words).
The result of abbreviation is a reduced form or abridgement of writing. They are commonly used because they save time and space.
As said by John Horne Tooke, “Abbreviations are the wheels of language, the wings of Mercury.
Examples:
ATM = Automated Teller Machine
BBC = British Broadcasting Corporation
Acronym:
It is a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name and pronounced as one word.
Examples:
NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA)
AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
Most Common Abbreviations & Acronyms with the letter – N
N
N / N.
National / Nationalist / Navy / New / Knight (Chess-also Kt) / Naira (Nigerian currency) / Ngultrum (Bhutanese currency) / Norse / North / Northern / Nuclear / Neutral (gear lever) / Norway (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) / Nitrogen (Chemistry) / Newton(s) (Physics) / Normal (for solutions in Chemistry) /
n
Name / Nano- / Neuter / Neutron / New / Nominative / Noon / Note / Noun / Number / and /
n/a
Not applicable / not available
NA
Netherlands Antilles (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) / North America
na
A Scots form of no / not (e.g.: hasna = has not)
Na
Natrium (Latin) = Sodium (Chemistry)
NAACP
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NAAFI/Naafi
(acronym) Navy, Army, and Air Force Institute(s) (store run by the service personnel by this organization) (British)
NACAB
(abbreviation & acronym) National Association of Citizens’ Advice Bureaux (Bureaus)
NACFB
National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers
NACODS
(abbreviation & acronym) National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers (Shot-firers)
NACRO
(abbreviation & acronym) National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders
NAD / NADH
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (a coenzyme in biological oxidation) (Biochemistry)
NADP
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate
NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement
NAHT
National Association of Head Teachers
NAI
Non-accident injury
NAIRU
(acronym & abbreviation) Non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment
NALGO
(acronym & abbreviation) National and Local Government Officers’ Association
NAM
Namibia (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) / National Association of Manufacturers (US)
N and Q
Notes and Queries
NAO
National Audit Office
Nap.
Napoleon
NAPM
National Association of Purchasing Management (US) [now known as ISM = Institute for Supply Management (US)]
NAPO
(acronym & abbreviation) National Association of Probation Officers
NAS
National Academy of Sciences (US) / Noise Abatement Society
NASA
(acronym) — National Aeronautics and Space Administration (USA)
NASCAR
(acronym & abbreviation) National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing
NASDAQ
(acronym & abbreviation) National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (an electronic virtual stock exchange system)
NASUWT
National Association of Schoolmasters (and) Union of Women Teachers (UK)
Nat.
National / Nationalist / Natural
nat.
National / Native / Natural / Natus (Latin) = born
NATFHE
National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (now replaced by UCU = University and College Union)
NATO / Nato
(acronym) — North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NATS
(acronym & abbreviation) National Air Traffic Services
NATSOPA
(acronym & abbreviation) National Society of Operative Printers, Graphical and Media Personnel (orig. Printers and Assistants)
NAU
Nauru (IVR = International Vehicle Registration)
naut.
Nautical
NAV
Net asset value
nav.
Naval / Navigable / Navigation / Navigator
NAYPIC/Naypic
National Association of Young People in Care (until 1995)
NB
Nota bene (Latin) = note well or take notice (also nb) / Nebraska (US state) / New Brunswick (Canadian province) / North Britain or North British (Scotland) / No ball
nb
No-ball (Cricket)
Nb
Niobium (Chemistry)
NBA
National Basketball Association (North American) / National Boxing Association (US) / Net Book Agreement
NBC
National Broadcasting Company (US) / Nuclear, biological & chemical (warfare, weapons, etc. agreement)
NBG
No bloody good (colloquial)
NBT
National Book Trust
NC
National Curriculum / Network computer / Numerical control / North Carolina (US state)
nc
No change
NC-17
No children under 17 (US) (rating for films from the Motion Picture Association of America) (films for adults only)
NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association (USA)
NCB
National Coal Board
NCC
National Consumer Council / National Curriculum Council (formerly) / National Cadet Corps / Nature Conservancy Council (formerly) / National Capital Commission (in Canada)
NCCL
National Council for Civil Liberties (now known as Liberty)
NCdt
Naval cadet (Canadian)
NCEA
National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NZ)
NCERT
National Council of Educational Research and Training (India)
NCIS
(acronym & abbreviation) National Criminal Intelligence Service (now replaced by SOCA = Serious and Organized Crime Agency)
NCM
Non-commissioned member (Canadian)
NCO
Non-commissioned officer
NCP
National Car Parks
NCSC
National Care Standards Commission
NCT
National Childbirth Trust (UK)
NCU
National Communication Union (UK) / National Cyclists’ Union
n.d. / nd
No date / not dated
ND / N.Dak.
North Dakota (US state)
Nd
Neodymium (Chemistry)
NDA
Non-disclosure agreement / National Defence Academy / National Democratic Alliance (political alliance) (India)
NDP
New (National) Democratic Party (Canada & Egypt)
NDT
Newfoundland Daylight Time
NE
Nebraska (also Neb./Nebr.) (US state) / New England / North-east / North-eastern /
Ne
Neon (symbol)
NEA
National Education for the Arts / National Education Association (US)
NEB
New English Bible / National Enterprise Board
NEC
National Executive Committee / National Exhibition Centre (Birmingham)
NED
New England Dictionary (formerly) / (later Oxford English Dictionary)
NEDC
National Economic Development Council (until 1992) [also Neddy (acronym) (informal)]
NEDO
(abbreviation & acronym) National Economic Development Office
Ne’erday
New Year’s Day (Scottish)
NEET
Not in education, employment or training (a young person)
NEF
National Energy Foundation
neg.
Negative / negatively / negotiable
Neh.
Nehemiah (biblical reference)
NEL
National Engineering Laboratory
nem. con.
Nemine contradicente (Latin) = with no one contradicting
nem. Diss.
Nemine dissentiente (Latin) = with no one dissenting
NEMS
(acronym & abbreviation) Nanoelectromechanical systems
NEO
Near-earth object
NEP
Nepal (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) / National Energy Program (Canadian)
NERC
(acronym & abbreviation) Natural Environmental Research Council (UK)
NES
National Eczema Society
Neth.
Netherlands
Nev.
Nevada (US state)
NF
National Front (UK)/ Newfoundland (Canadian province) / No funds (also N/F) / Norman French / Northern French
NFDC
National Film Development Corporation (India)
NFER
National Foundation for Educational Research
NFL
National Football League (US)
Nfld
Newfoundland
NFS
National Fire Service (from 1941 to 1948) / Not for sale
NFT
National Film Theatre
NFTS
National Film and Television School
NFU
National Farmers’ Union
NFWI
National Federation of Women’s Institutes
NG
National Guard (US)
ng
No good (also n.g.) / nanogram(s)
NGC
New General Catalogue (catalogue of galaxies, clusters and nebulas)
NGO
Non-governmental organization
NGR
Nigeria (IVR = International Vehicle Registration)
NH
New Hampshire (US state) / National Highway (India)
NHS
National Health Service (UK)
NI
National Insurance / Northern Ireland / North Island (of New Zealand)
Ni
Nickel (Chemistry)
NIC
National Insurance Contributions / Newly Industrialized Country / Nicaragua (IVR = International Vehicle Registration)
NICAM/Nicam
(acronym) Near-instantaneously companded audio multiplex (UK) (television digital system)
NICE
(acronym) National Intensive Care Institute for Clinical Excellence
NICU /
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(US) (Medicine) (an intensive unit for preborn or seriously ill newborn)
NIESR
National Institute of Economics and Social Research
NIH
National Institutes of Health
NIIT
(both abbreviation & acronym) National Institute of Information Technology (India)
NIMBY/Nimby
(acronym) not in my back yard (slang)
NiMH
Nickel-metal hydride (rechargeable battery)
NIOSH
(acronym) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (US)
NIV
New International Version (Bible)
nix.
Nichts (German) (informal/slang) = Nothing (denial or refusal)
NJ
New Jersey (US state)
NK / NK cell
Natural killer (cell) (Physiology)
NKVD
Narodnyi Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del (Russian) = People Commissariate of Internal Affairs (formerly a secret police agency in Soviet Union)
NL
Newfoundland and Labrador / National League (Baseball) / The Netherlands (IVR =International Vehicle Registration)
nl
Non licet (Latin) = It is not permitted / Non liquet (Latin) = It is not clear / Non lange (Latin) = Not far
NLC
National Lottery Commission (a regulatory body) (UK)
NLCS
National League Championship Series (Baseball)
NLP
Natural language processing / Neurolinguistic Programming
NLRB
National Labor Relations Board (US)
nm / n.m.
Nanometer(s) / Nautical mile
NM / N.Mex.
New Mexico (US state)
NMC
Nursing and Midwifery Council
NMD
National Missile Defense (US)
n mile
(international) nautical mile
NMR
Nuclear magnetic resonance (Physics)
NMRI
Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging
NNE
North-north-east
NNI
Noise and Number Index
NNP
Net national Product
NNW
North-north-west
n.o.
Not out
No.
North (also no.) (US)
NOC
National Olympic Committee
NP
Notary Public / New paragraph (also np) / New Providence (the Bahamas)
Np
Neptunium
np
No place (of publication) / Noun phrase Nisi prius (Latin) = Unless previously, a name in jury sittings in civil cases
NPA
Newspaper Publishers’ Association
NPD
Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (German) = National Democratic Party of Germany
National Rifle Association (US) / National Recovery Administration (US) / National Rivers Authority (now replaced by EA = Environment Agency) (UK)
NRC
National Research Council of Canada / Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US)
NRDC
National Research Development Corporation
NRI
Non-resident Indian
NRSV
New Revised Standard Version (Bible)
NT
National Theatre (now known as RNT = Royal National Theatre) / National Trust / New Testament / Northern Territory (Australia) / No trumps (cards) / Northwest Territories (Canada) / Nunavut
NTD
Neural tube defect
Nth
North
NTP/ntp
Normal temperature and pressure (also ntp) /
NTPC
National Thermal Power Corporation (India)
NTSC
National Television Standards Committee (US)
NU
Name unknown / Nunavut Territory (Canada)
Nu.
Ngultrum (Bhutanese currency)
nuc. / nuke
Nuclear
NUI
National University of Ireland
NUJ
National Union of Journalists
NUM
National Union of Mineworkers (UK)
num.
Number / numeral
Num./Numb.
(the book of) Numbers (Bible) (Old Testament)
NUMAST
(acronym & abbreviation) National Union of Marine, and Shipping Transport Offices
NUPE
(acronym & abbreviation) National Union of Public Employees
NUR
National Union of Railwaymen (formerly)
NUS
National Union of Students (UK) / National Union of Seamen (formerly)
NUT
National Union of Teachers
NU tone
Number unobtainable tone
NV
Nevada (US state) / New version
nvCJD
New variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
NVALA/NVLA
National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association (now known as Mediawatch (UK)
NVI
No value indicated (a postal stamp without indicating price)
NVM
Never mind (short form)
NVQ
National Vocational Qualification (UK)
NW
North-west / North-western
NWA
National Wildlife Area
NWC
North West Company (formerly) (Canadian)
NWMP
North West Mounted Police (formerly) (Canadian)
NWO
Northwestern Ontario
N-word
The word – ‘Nigger’
NWS
North Warning System (Arctic region radar station system)
NWT/N.W.T.
Northwest Territories (of Canada)
NY
New York (US city or state)
NYC
New York City
NYO
National Youth Orchestra
NYOS
National Youth Orchestra of Scotland
NYPD
New York Police Department
NYSE
New York Stock Exchange
NZ
New Zealand (also IVR = International Vehicle Registration)
NZPA
New Zealand Press Association
Abbreviations & Acronyms in Alphabetical Order – Click the Letter
