Table. Abbreviations That Do Not Need Spelling Outa

Abbr. / Definition / Abbr. / Definition /
(am) / ammoniated (suffix to compound) / iff / if and only if
alt / altitude, alternative / Im / imaginary
approx / approximate (in subscripts or tables) / Inc. / incorporated
av / average (in subscripts or tables) / inel / inelastic (in subscripts or tables)
ca. / centare, circa; “about,” for dates only / lab / laboratory (in subscripts or tables)
calc / calculated (in subscripts or tables) / lat / latitude, lateral (in subscripts or tables)
coeff / coefficient (in subscripts or tables) / loc. cit. / loco citato, in the place cited (do not use)
cf. / confer; compare / max / maximum (in subscripts or tables)
Co. / company / min / minimum (in subscripts or tables)
const / constant / mol / molecular, molecule (in subscripts or tables)
Corp. / corporation / N / north
cu. / cubic, cumulative / No., no. / number
Chap. / chapter / obs / observed (in subscripts or tables)
dev / deviation (in subscripts or tables) / op.cit. / opere citato; in the work cited (do not use)
diam / diameter / p. / page
E / east / Ph.D. / doctor of philosophy
ed. / editor / pp. / pages
e.g. / exempli gratia; for example / Pt., pt. / part
el / elastic, or elevation (in subscripts or tables) / Re / real (in subscripts or tables); also rhenium
Eq. / equation / Ref. / reference
equiv / equivalent (in subscripts or tables) / S / south
et al. / et alii (m), et aliae (f); and others / Sec. / section
et seq. / et sequens; and the following one / Ser. / series
etc. / et cetera; etcetera, and so forth / spec / special, specifically (in subscripts or tables)
exp / exponent / sq / square
expt. / experimental (in subscripts or tables) / stereo / stereoscopic (in subscripts or tables)
f, f/ / focal length, relative aperture / Suppl. / supplement
ff / folios, and folios following / sync. / synchronization, synchronism
Fig. / figure / theor / theoretical (in subscripts or tables)
fil. lic. / Swedish Ph.D / tot / total (in subscripts or tables)
Gp, gp / group / viz. / videlicet; namely
I / electric current; island; also iodine / Vol. / volume
ibid. / ibidem, in the same place (do not use) / vs / versus (in subscripts only)
i.e. / id est; that is / W / west

a Symbols for compounds and elements are not listed (refer to Webster’s under elements).

States are abbreviated in the reference section and spelled out elsewhere. Use the abbreviation, not the postal code.

Table 12. Abbreviations for States and Territories

Abbreviation / Postal Code / Abbreviation / Postal Code / Abbreviation / Postal Code
Ala. / AL / Ky. / KY / Ohio / OH
Alaska / AK / La. / LA / Okla. / OK
Amer. Samoa / AS / Maine / ME / Oreg. / OR
Ariz. / AZ / Md. / MD / Pa. / PA
Ark. / AR / Mass. / MA / P.R. / PR
Calif. / CA / Mich. / MI / R.I. / RI
Colo. / CO / Minn. / MN / S.C. / SC
Conn. / CT / Miss. / MS / S.Dak. / SD
Del. / DE / Mo. / MO / Tenn. / TN
D.C. / DC / Mont. / MT / Tex. / TX
Fla. / FL / Nebr. / NE / Utah / UT
Ga. / GA / Nev. / NV / Vt. / VT
Guam / GU / N.H. / NH / Va. / VA
Hawaii / HI / N.J. / NJ / V.I. / VI
Idaho / ID / N.Mex. / NM / Wash. / WA
Ill. / IL / N.Y. / NY / W.Va. / WV
Ind. / IN / N.C. / NC / Wis. / WI
Iowa / IA / N.Dak. / ND / Wyo. / WY
Kans. / KS

The acronyms in Table 13 are given with typical definitions, which are sometimes followed, as an aid to identification, by a suggestion of the contexts in which the acronym is likely to occur. WARNING: the definition given here may not be the correct one in the paper that you are editing: always query the author if you supply the definition for an acronym. If you cannot supply a definition, ask the author to insert the definition. In proofs, the author must be asked before an acronym is spelled out or a definition is inserted.