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Abbreviations and Acronyms

Types of reductions, abbreviations and acronyms have some particularities that differentiate them in concept and use.

Do you know the rules governing abbreviations and acronyms? At first glance they seem to be similar elements, but they have particularities that must be respected.

The abbreviation has a specific context of use: in writing, it represents part of the word as equivalent to a whole, that is, it reduces certain words. They are usually more or less fixed traditional reductions. Here are some examples of abbreviations:

= see
= craft

because. = why

= edit

Your Excellency = Your Excellency

code = code

The abbreviation stands for

by the presence of the abbreviation dot;
by capital or lower case,
by accentuation and inflection.

and

We call an abbreviation the abbreviation formed by the initial letters of expressions, whether they are compound names or noun phrases. Here are some examples of acronyms:

UN = United Nations

ABNT = Brazilian Association of Technical Standards

CNPq = National Research Council

IMF = International Monetary Fund

UFRJ = Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

STF = Federal Supreme Court

List of abbreviations and acronyms

a = are(s)
ABI = Brazilian Press Association
ABL = Brazilian Academy of Letters
a.C. or AC = before Christ
AC = Acre (State of)
A/C = to the care(s)
Aug. = August
AL = Alagoas (State of)
AM = Amazonas (State of)
Apart. or ap. = apartment
AP = Amapá (State of)
Av. = Avenida

BA = Bahia (State of)
BCG = Bacillus of Calmette and Guérin (vaccination against tuberculosis)
BNH= National Housing Bank
bibl. = bibliography, bibliographic or library
BR = Brazil

cap. = chapter; caps. = CBF chapters
= Brazilian Football Confederation
c/c = current account
CE = Ceará (State of)
cent. = cent
CEP = Postal Address Code
cf. or cf. = check, compare, compare
Cia. = company
cit. = citation, cited (s), cited (s)
cm = centimeter (s)
CNP= National Petroleum Council
cod.
= CPF code = Individual Taxpayer Registration
cred. = credit
Cx. = Box

D. = Dom, Dona
D.ª = Dona
d.C. = after Christ
DDD = Direct Distance Dialing
DD. = most worthy
DF = Federal District
dm = decimeter (s)
DNER = National Department of Highways
Dr. = Doctor
Dr. = Doctor
dz. = dozen(s)

ed. =
E.D edition = wait for deferment
e.g. = exempli gratia (for example)
EMBRAER = Brazilian Aeronautical
Company EMBRATEL = Brazilian Telecommunications Company
ES = Espírito Santo (State of)
etc. = et cetera (and the other things) USA = United States of America ex. = example Your Excellency = Your Excellency Your Excellency = Your Excellency F FAB = Brazilian Air Force Feb. = February FGTS = Severance Indemnity Fund FIFA = International Federation of Football Associations fl. = leaf; pages = sheets FN = Fernando de Noronha FUNAI = National Indian Foundation G

g = gram(s)
gen. = general
GO = Goiás (State of

h = hour (s)
ha = hectare (s)
inhab. = inhabitant

ib. = ibidem (in the same place)
IBGE = Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística
id. = idem (the same )
ie = this is
Ilma = Most Illustrious
Ilmo = Most Illustrious
I.NRI = Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews) INSS = National Social Security Institute Br. = brother, sister J jan. = January Jul. = July jun. = June K K = Kallium (potassium) Kg = kilogram (s) Km = kilometer (s)

Km2 = square kilometer (s)
Kw = kilowatt

l = liter (s)
L.= east (cardinal point)
lat. = latitude, Latin
lb. = pound(s)
long. = longitude
Ltda., Ltd. = limited (commercially)

m = meter (s)
m2 = square meter (s)
m3 = cubic meter (s)
m or min = minute (s)
MM. = Your Honor
MA = Maranhão (State of)
MW = megawatt (s)
MG = Minas Gerais (State of)
mg = milligram
ml = milliliter (s)
MS = Mato Grosso do Sul (State of)
MT = Mato Grosso (State of)

No.

_ = number
N. = north
nac. = national
NE = northeast (point between north and east)
NO = northwest
nov. = November
N. Sr.ª = Nossa Senhora
N. da E. = Editor's Note
N. do T. = Translator's Note

O. = west
obs. = observation,
OAS observations = Organization of American States
O.K. = all correct UN = United Nations op. cit. = opus citatum (work cited) P p. = page; pages = pages PA = Pará (State of) pal. = word(s) PB = Paraíba (State of) PD = requests approval eg. = for example PE = Pernambuco (State of) Pe. = priest

PF = please
pg. = paid
PI = Piauí (State of)
PIS = Social Integration Program
pl. = plural
p.p. = by proxy; next past
PR = Paraná (State of)
Prof. = professor
Prof.ª professor
P. S. = post scriptum (after writing)

ql. = carat (s)

R. = street
Rem.te = sender Rev.mo =
Reverendíssimo
RJ = Rio de Janeiro (State of)
RN = Rio Grande do Norte (State of)
RO = Rondônia (State of)
RR = Roraima ( State of)
RS = Rio Grande do Sul (State of)

S. = São, Santo (a), sul
S.A. = limited liability company
SC = Santa Catarina (State of)
nd = no date
SE = Sergipe (State of)
19th century = century
SENAC = National Service of Commercial Apprenticeship
S.O. = Southwest
S.OS = save our souls
(save our souls: distress call sent by ships and planes)
SP = São Paulo (State of)
Mr. = Lord; gentlemen = Gentlemen
Ms. = Madam; Ladies = Ladies
Miss = Miss

Tel. = telephone, telegram
TO = Tocantins (State of)
TV = television

UNESCO = United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (= United Nations Scientific and Cultural Educational Organization)
USA= United States of America

V = volt
V. = you
V.S.ª = Your Lordship
V.S.ªs = Your Lordships
Your Excellency = Your Excellency
v.g. = verbi gratia (eg)

W = watt (uote) WC = water-closet (bathroom, toilet).