Commonly used abbreviations and contractions
The abbreviations listed below are commonly used in bibliographies, reference lists, and notes. You may also come across some of these in your readings.
& | and |
abr. | Abridged |
anon. | Anonymous |
app. | Appendix |
art. | Article |
bk. | Book |
c. | approximately, about (Latin circa); e.g. c. 1888 |
cf. | compare (Latin confer) |
ch. / c. | chapter (c. for legislation) |
col. | column (cols for columns) |
comp. | compiler (comps for compliers) |
div. | Division |
ed. | editor (eds for editors) |
edn | edition (ends for editions) |
e.g. | for example (Latin exempli gratia) |
eq. | equation (eqs for equations) |
esp. | especially |
et al. | and others (Latin et alii) |
et seq. | and following (Latin et sequentes) |
etc. | and so forth (Latin et cetera) |
fig. | figure (figs for figures) |
fn. | footnote (fnn for footnotes) |
ibid. | in the same work (Latin ibidem) |
id. | the same (Latin idem) |
i.e. | that is (Latin id est) |
ill. | illustrator (ills for illustrators) |
inf. | below (Latin infra) |
l. | line (ll. for lines) |
loc. cit. | in the place cited (Latin loco citato) |
ms | manuscript (Latin manuscriptum); (mss for manuscripts, Latinmanuscripta) |
n. | note (nn. for notes) |
n.d. | no date |
no. | number (nos for numbers) |
n.p. | no place |
op. cit. | in the work cited (Latin opere citato) |
p. | page (pp. for pages) |
par. / para. | paragraph (paras for paragraphs) |
pass. | here and there, throughout (Latin passim) |
pt | part (pts for parts) |
q.v. | which see (Latin quod vide); [qq.v. for which (plural) see, Latin quae vide] |
r. | regulation (rr. for regulations) |
repr. | Reprinted |
rev. | revised / reviser |
sec. / ss. / S. | section (s. and ss. for legislation) |
ser. | Series |
sup. | above (Latin supra) |
supp. | Supplement |
trans. | Translator |
v. | see (Latin vide) |
viz. | namely (Latin videlicet) |
vol. | volume (vols for volumes) |
Adapted from:
Faculty of Business 2006, Guide to writing assignments, University of Technology, Sydney.
Grambs, D 1985, Literary companion dictionary, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.