Abbreviations & Acronyms
Abbreviation:
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 ‘R’
R
| R / R. | Rand (South African currency) / Rector / River / Rupee(s) / Rabbi / Rex = King (Latin) / Regina = Queen) (Latin) / Rook (in chess) / Ruble(s) / Run(s) (cricket) / Republican (US) / Rontgen unit / Rx = Recipere (Latin) or Recipe = to take (medical prescription) Reaumur (medicine) / Reaumur’s thermometric scale (also Reau) / Radius / Railway / Restricted (US film classification) / Rex.=right / Reverse (gear shift) / Roentgen / Royal (organizations’ names) / Radical (chemical formula) / Gas constant (Physical Chemistry) / Rydberg constant (Physics) / Regiment / Response / Rain (logbook) / R = 80 /and/ R– = 80000 (medieval Roman symbols) / recto / right / (Electrical) Resistance / ®=Registered (trade mark) / Rangers or Rovers (in names of sports club) / Romania (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) / |
| r / r. | Right / Recto / Run(s) / Radius / Recipe (Latin) = take / Rule (Law) |
| R18 | A film restricted to viewers that below 18 years may not be allowed. |
| RA | Rear Admiral / Rheumatoid arthritis / Royal Artillery / Royal Academician / Royal Academy of Arts / Republic of Argentina (IVR) / Right ascension (Astronomy) |
| Ra | Radium (Chemistry) |
| R&A/R and A | Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews |
| RAAF | Royal Australian Air Force |
| RAC | Royal Armoured Corps (UK0 / Royal Automobile Club (UK) |
| RAD | Reflex anal dilatation / Royal Academy of Dance |
| rad | Radian (singular & plural) / radiator |
| RADA | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (UK) |
| RADAR | (acronym) Radio Association for Disability and Rehabilitation / Radio Detection and Ranging / |
| RADC | Royal Army Dental Corps |
| RAdm | Rear Admiral (Canadian) |
| RAE | Royal Aircraft Establishment |
| RAEC | Royal Army Educational Corps (now replaced by ETS = Educational and Training Services) |
| RAeS | Royal Aeronautical Society |
| RAF | Abbreviation & acronym) Royal Air Force |
| RAID | Redundant Array of Inexpensive (or Independent) Disks |
| RAM | Random access memory |
| r.a.m. | Relative atomic mass |
| RAMC | Royal Army Medical Corps |
| RAN | Royal Australian Navy |
| R&A/R and A | Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews |
| R & D | (also R and D) Research and Development |
| RAOC | Royal Army Ordnance Corps |
| RAPC | Royal Army Pay Corps |
| R and R | Rest and relaxation (or recreation) (US) (informal) |
| RAS | Royal Astronomical Society |
| RAuxAF | Royal Auxiliary Air Force |
| RAVC | Royal Army Veterinary Corps |
| RAX | Rural Automatic Exchange |
| R&B / R’n’B | Rhythm and blues (a kind of pop music) / (Department of) Roads & Buildings |
| RB | Rifle Brigade (formerly) / Republic of Botswana (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) |
| Rb | Rubidium (chemical element) |
| RBI | Reserve Bank of India / Run batted in |
| RBC | Red blood cell (count) (Medicine) |
| RBE | Relative biological effectiveness (of radiation) |
| R-boot | Raumboot minesweeper (German) = a German minesweeper in the Second World War |
| RBI | Reserve Bank of India / Run batted in |
| RBMK reactor | Reaktor bolshoy moshchnosti kanalnyy (Russian) = high power channel reactor |
| RC | Red Cross / Roman Catholic (church) / Reinforced concrete / Taiwan (official name Republic of China (IVR) / Resistance/Capacitance or Resistor/capacitor (Electronics) |
| RCA | Radio Corporation of America (US) / Royal Canadian Academy / Royal College of Art / Republique Centrafricaine (IVR) = Central African Republic |
| RCAF | Royal Canadian Air Force |
| RCB | Republic of Congo (IVR) |
| RCC | Roman Catholic Church |
| RCD | Residual current device (Electricity) |
| RCGP | Royal College of General Practitioners |
| RCH | Republic of Chile (IVR) |
| RCM | Regimental Court-martial (abolished in 1955) / Royal College of Music (UK) |
| RCMP | Royal Canadian Mounted Police |
| RCN | Royal College of Nursing / Royal Canadian Navy (formerly) (now replaced by CFMC = Canadian Forces Maritime Command) |
| RCO | Royal College of Organists |
| RCOG | Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists |
| RCP | Royal College of Physicians |
| RCPS | Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons |
| RCR | Royal College of Radiologists |
| RCS | Royal College of Science / Royal College of Surgeons / Royal Corps of Signals |
| RCSLT | Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists |
| RCT | Royal Corps of Transport (now replaced by RLC = Royal Logistics Corps) |
| RCU | Remote control unit |
| RCVS | Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons |
| RD | Reserve Decoration (Naval) / Rural Dean / Refer to drawer (written on returned bank cheque) |
| rd | Rutherford |
| Rd | Road (in addresses) |
| R&D | Research and development |
| RDA | Recommended daily (or dietary) allowance |
| RDC | Rural Development Council |
| RDF | Radio direction-finding (or –finder) / Refused-derived fuel |
| RDI | Recommended daily intake (for a vitamin, mineral, etc.) |
| rDNA | Recombinant DNA (DNA = Deoxyribonucleic acid) |
| RDS | Radio data system (broadcasting digital signal system) |
| RDX | Research Department Explosive (also called cyclonite) (a type of high explosive) |
| RE | Reformed Episcopal / Religious education (in schools) / Royal Engineers / Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (formerly known as the RSEE = Royal Society of Etchers and Engravers) |
| Re | Rhenium (chemical element) / Rupee (also re) / |
| RF | Radio frequency / Republique francaise (French)=French Republic / Representative fraction (of a map) |
| Rf | Rutherfordium (chemical element) |
| rf | Rinforzando (music) |
| RFA | Royal Fleet Auxiliary |
| RFC | Royal Flying Corps (until 1918) / Rugby Football Club / Request For Comment (Computing) |
| RFID | Radio Frequency Identification (a method of storing and retrieving information by radio signals) |
| RFS | Register of Friendly Societies (now replaced by FSA) |
| RFU | Rugby Football Union |
| RG | Republic of Guinea (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) |
| Rg | Roentgenium (chemical element) |
| RGB | Republic of Guinea-Bissau (IVR-International Vehicle Registration) / Red-Green-Blue |
| RGN | Registered General Nurse |
| RGS | Royal Geographical Society (now often RGS-IBG (an amalgamation with the Institute of British Geographers) |
| Rgt | Regiment |
| RGV | Remote Guidance Vehicle |
| RH | Republic of Haiti (IVR-International Vehicle Registration) / Royal Highness |
| rh | Right hand or right-hand |
| Rh | Rhodium (chemical element) / Rhesus / Rhesus factor |
| RHA | Royal Hibernian Academy / Royal Horse Artillery / Regional Health Authority (replaced by DHSC = Directorate of Health and Social Care) |
| RHD | Right-hand Drive |
| RHG | Royal Horse Guards |
| RHR | Royal Highland Regiment (in Canada) |
| RHS | Royal Historical Society / Royal Horticulture Society / Royal Humane Society |
| RI | Regina et Imperatrix (Latin) = Queen and Empress / Rex et Imperator (Latin) = King and Emperor / Religious Instruction / Rhode Island (US state) / (member of the) Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours / Republic of Indonesia (IVR-International Vehicle Registration) / Royal Institute or Institution (Great Britain) |
| RIA | Royal Irish Academy / Radioimmunoassay |
| RIAM | Royal Irish Academy of Music |
| RIAS | Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland |
| RIBA | Royal Institute of British Architects |
| RIC | Royal Irish Constabulary (historical) |
| RICO | (abbreviation & acronym) Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations |
| RICS | Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors |
| RIE | Recognized Investment Exchanges |
| RIGS | Regionally Important Geological Site |
| RIIA | Royal Institute of International Affairs |
| RIM | (Republique Islamique de Mauritania) Maritaunia (IVR) |
| RIP | Requiescat in pace (Latin) = Rest in peace |
| RIPA | (abbreviation & acronym) Royal Institute of Public Administration (now defunct) |
| RIPH | Royal Institute of Public Health |
| RIR | Royal Irish Regiment (UDR = Ulster Defence Regiment) |
| RISC | Reduced Instruction Set Computer (faster processing central computer) |
| rit. | Retardando / Ritenuto (music) |
| RJE | Remote Job Entry (Computing) |
| RJET | Remote Job Entry Terminal (Computing) |
| RK | Religious Knowledge |
| RKO | Radio-Keith-Orpheum merging of RCA with Keith and Orpheum cinema chains (RCA = Radio Corporation of America) |
| RL | Rugby League / Real Life (computer & online games, internet, etc.) / Republic of Lebanon (Lebanon’s IVR) / Reference Library |
| RM | Rural Municipality or Regional Municipality (Canadian) |
| rm. | Room |
| RMB | Roadside Mail Box |
| r.m.s. | Root mean square (Mathematics) |
| RMS | Royal Meteorological Society |
| RMT | National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers |
| RN | Registered Nurse (US) / Royal Navy (UK) / Republic of Niger (also IVR=International Vehicle Registration) |
| Rn | Radon (chemical element) |
| RNA | Ribonucleic acid (Biochemistry) / Registered Nursing Assistant |
| RNAS | Royal Naval Air Service (until 1918) / Royal Naval Air Station |
| RNCM | Royal Northern College of Music |
| RNIB | Royal National Institute of the Blind |
| RNID | Royal National Institute for Deaf People |
| R & B/R’n’B | Rhythm and Blues (a kind of pop music) / Roads and Buildings (Department, Ministry, etc.) |
| RNLI | Royal National Lifeboat Institution (UK) |
| R’n’R/R&R | Rock and Roll |
| RNR | Royal Naval Reserve |
| RNT | Royal National Theatre |
| RNVR | Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve |
| RNWMP | Royal North West Mounted Police (formerly) (Canadian) (now NWMP = North West Mounted Police) |
| RNZAF | Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| RNZN | Royal New Zealand Navy |
| RO | Romania (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) |
| ro | Recto (printing) / Run out (cricket) |
| ROAR | Right of admission reserved |
| ROC | Royal Observer Corps (historical) (UK) |
| ROCE | Return on capital employed (Finance) |
| ROH | Royal Opera House |
| ROI | Republic of India / Republic of Ireland / Return on investment (Finance) |
| ROK | Republic of Korea (South Korea) (IVR) |
| ROM | (abbreviation & acronym) Read-only memory (storage device) (computing) |
| rom. | Roman (type) |
| Rom. | (the letter to the) Romans (Bible) |
| ro-ro | Roll-on roll-off |
| RoSPA | (abbreviation & acronym) Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents |
| ROTC | (abbreviation & acronym) Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (US) |
| ROU | Republic of Uruguay (also IVR) |
| ROV | Remotely operated vehicle |
| RP | Received Pronunciation / Reformed Presbyterian / Regius Professor / Republic of the Philippines (IVR) Royal Society of Portrait Printers/ Retinitis pigmentosa |
| RPB | Recognized professional body |
| RPC | Rail Passengers Council |
| RPG | Rocket-propelled grenade / Role-playing game / Report program generator (high-level commercial computer language program used in business) |
| RPI | Retail price index (UK) |
| rpm | Revolutions per minute |
| RPM | Retail or resale price maintenance |
| RPN | Reverse Polish notation |
| RPO | Royal Philharmonic Orchestra |
| RPR | Rassemblement pour la Republique (French) a neo-Gaullist right-wing political party in France |
| RPS | Royal Photographic Society |
| rps | Revolutions per second |
| RPSGB | Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain |
| rpt | Repeat / Report |
| RPT | Registered physiotherapist / Registered professional turner |
| RPV | Remotely piloted vehicle (military) (a miniature aircraft) |
| R & R | Rescue and resuscitation (Medicine) / Rock and roll (R’n’R) / Rest and recreation (colloquial) (Military) |
| RR | Railroad (US) / Rural route (US) / Right Reserved |
| RRIF | Registered Retirement Income Fund (a tax-sheltered saving plan) (Canadian) |
| rRNA | Ribosomal RNA (Biochemistry) |
| RRP | Recommended retail price (Britain) |
| RRSP | Registered Retirement Savings Plan (Canadian) |
| RS | Royal Society / (a body of eminent scientists in UK) |
| Rs | Rupees |
| RSA | Republic of South Africa / Returned Services Association (NZ) / Royal Scottish Academy or Academician / Royal Society of Arts (officially the Royal Society for encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce) |
| RSC | Royal Shakespeare Company / Royal Society of Chemistry |
| R.S.C. | Revised Statues of Canada (Canadian) |
| RSE | Royal Society of Edinburgh (a body of eminent scientists of Scotland) |
| RSFSR | Russian Federated Soviet Socialist Republic |
| RSI | Relative Strength Index (share market activity measure) / Repetitive strain or stress injury |
| RSJ | Rolled steel joist |
| RSL | Returned Services League (Australia) / Royal Society of Literature |
| RSM | Regimental Sergeant Major / Royal Society of Medicine / Royal School of Magic / Republic of San Marino (IVR) |
| RSNC | Royal Society for Nature Conservation (UK) |
| RSNO | Royal Scottish National Orchestra |
| RSNZ | Royal Society of New Zealand |
| RSPB | Royal Society for the Protection of Birds |
| RSPCA | Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals |
| RSS | Rich Site Summary (Computing) / Really Simple Syndication / Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (India -Hindi) (Hindu nationalist volunteer organization) |
| RSSA | Royal Scottish Society of Arts |
| RSSPCC | Royal Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (now known as Children 1st) |
| RSTM&H | Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene |
| RSV | Revised Standard Version (of the Bible translated into English) |
| RSVP | repondez sil vous plait (please reply) |
| RT or R/T | Radio telegraph(y) or telephone(-ny) |
| rt | Right |
| RTA | Road traffic accident / Registrar and Transfer Agents / Renal Tubular Acidosis (medicine) |
| rtd | Retired |
| RTE | Radio Telefis Eireann (Irish Gaelic) = Irish Radio Television |
| rte | Route |
| RTF | Rich Text Format (standard format for text files) (Computing) |
| Rt Hon. | Right Honourable |
| RTPI | Royal Town Planning Institute |
| Rt Rev. | Right Reverend |
| RTW | Round the world |
| RU | Rugby Union / Republic of Burundi (IVR) |
| Ru | Ruthenium (chemical element) |
| RU486 | Trademark for mifepristone |
| RUC | Royal Ulster Constabulary (now replaced by PSNI = Police Service of Northern Ireland) |
| RUCC | Rail Users’ Consultative Committee (now known as RPC = Rail Passengers Council) |
| RV | Recreational vehicle / Revised Version (of the Bible) |
| rv / RV | Rendezvous (point) (appointed meeting point/place) |
| RW | Right Worshipful / Right Worthy |
| RWA | Rwanda (IVR = International Vehicle Registration) |
| Rx | Recipe = a doctor’s prescription / (in prescription) take |
| Rwy / Ry | Railway |
| RYA | Royal Yachting Association |
| RYS | Royal Yacht Squadron |
