List of Terms: A

abbreviations and acronyms

The notation “abbrev.” is used in this book to identify the abbreviated form that may be used for a word in some contexts. A few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some circumstances. Some others are acceptable depending on the context. But in general, avoid alphabet soup. Do NOT use abbreviations or acronyms that the reader would not quickly recognize. Guidance on how to use a particular abbreviation or acronym is provided in entries alphabetized according to the sequence of letters in the word or phrase. Some examples:

  • Before a name: abbreviate the following titles when used before a full name outside direct quotations: Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Mr., Mrs., Rep., the Rev., Sen. and certain military designations. For guidelines on how to use titles, see courtesy titles; legislative titles; military titles; and the entries for the most commonly used titles in the AP Stylebook.
  • After a name: abbreviate junior or senior after an individual’s name. Abbreviate company, corporation and incorporated when used after the name of a corporate identity. See entries under these words. In some cases, an academic degree may be abbreviated after an individual’s name. See academic degrees.
  • With dates or numerals: Use the abbreviations A.D., B.C., a.m., p.m., No., and abbreviate certain months when used with the day of the month.
    • Right: In 450 B.C.; at 9:30 a.m.; in room No. 6; on Sept. 16.
    • Wrong: Early this a.m.; he asked for the No. of your room. The abbreviations are correct only with figures.
    • Right: Early this morning he asked for the number of your room.
  • In numbered addresses: Abbreviate avenue, boulevard and street in numbered addresses: He lives on Pennsylvania Avenue. He lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. See addresses.
  • States: The names of certain states and the United States are abbreviated with periods in some circumstances. See state names; datelines; and individual entries in the AP Stylebook.
  • Acceptable but not required: Some organizations and government agencies are widely recognized by their initials: CIA, FBI, GOP. If the entry for such an organization notes that an abbreviation is acceptable in all references or on a second reference, that does not mean that its use should be automatic. Let the context determine, for example, whether to use Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI.
  • Avoid awkward constructions: Do NOT follow an organization’s full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses or dashes. If an abbreviation or acronym would not be clear on second reference without this arrangement, do not use it. Names not commonly before the public should not be reduced to an acronym solely to save a few words.
  • Special Cases: Many abbreviations are desirable in tabulations and certain types of technical writing. See individual entries.
  • Caps, Periods: Use capital letters and periods according to the listings in this book. For words not listed in this book, use the first-listed abbreviation in Webster’s New World Dictionary. If an abbreviation not listed in this book or in the dictionary receives widespread acceptance, use capital letters. Omit periods unless the result would spell an unrelated word.

Academic Affairs

No apostrophe.

academic degrees

For materials other than news releases, B.A. Bachelor of Arts, M.A. Master of Arts, M.S. Master of Science, Ed.D. doctor of education, Ph.D. doctor of philosophy. No space after periods in abbreviations. The word degree should not follow a degree abbreviation: he has a B.A. in history, NOT he has a B.A. degree in history. Use bachelor’s and master’s degrees, never bachelors and masters degrees. When referring to degrees in general, lowercase the first letter of the degree and use the ’s’ ending they all had master’s degrees in engineering. Capitalize formal names of academic degrees Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, Doctor of Philosophy. For copy to be forwarded to the news media, check the preference of AP Stylebook regarding the use of academic degrees and the prefix “Dr.” See Official Degree Titles for a complete listing of UF schools, colleges and degrees.

academic departments/offices

Capitalize name of department and the words department, college, office and school only when they appear as part of official divisional name (Department of Anthropology, anthropology department). But for news releases, use lowercase except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives: the department of history, the history department, the department of English, the English department.

academic titles

Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as president, provost, vice president, chancellor, dean and chairman when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere. Never abbreviate professor. Lowercase before a name and don’t continue in second reference unless part of a quote. Lowercase modifiers such as history in history department Chairman John Smith. Place longer titles after the name. Example: “John Smith, executive director of the Paul Nelson Center for the Study of Environmental Conservation, said he agrees.”

accommodate


accreditation designations

For correspondence or publications, place accreditation designations after academic degree designations for purposes of addressing correspondence: Jane Smith, Ph.D., APR Do NOT use accreditation designations in news releases. See academic titles.

Achievement Scholars

Official title

addresses

Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number: Pennsylvania Avenue. Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues.

  • All similar words: alley, drive, road, terrace, etc. always are spelled out. Capitalize them when part of a formal name without a number; lowercase when used alone or with two or more names.
  • Always use figures for an address number: 9 Morningside Circle. Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names; use figures with two letters for 10th and above: 7 Fifth Ave., 100 21st St.
  • Abbreviate compass points used to indicate directional ends of a street or quadrants of a city in a numbered address: 222 E. 42nd St., 562 W. 43rd St., 600 K St. N.W. Do NOT abbreviate if the number is omitted: East 42nd Street, West 43rd Street, K Street Northwest.

adjunct

Adjuncts are temporary faculty, usually with a time limit of six months.

administration

Lowercase: the administration, the president’s administration, the governor’s administration, the Reagan administration. Don’t abbreviate.

admission, admittance

Use admittance for physical entry to a specific place: no admittance to Tigert Hall. Use admission for figurative entry: admission of evidence or, when physical entry is involved, in the further sense of right or privilege of participation: admission to a society; the price of admission to the Constans Theatre.

Admissions Committee

Use ’s’ on admissions.

Admissions Office

No apostrophe

adverse, averse

Adverse means unfavorable: He predicted adverse weather. Averse means reluctant, oppose: She is averse to change.

adviser

Not advisor

affect, effect

Each is a verb and a noun. In practice, however, affect is almost always a verb and effect most often a noun: drugs that affect the nervous system; affected poor grades to gain sympathy; the effect of drugs on the nervous system; his complaint had no effect on the dean.

African-American

African-American is acceptable for an American black person of African descent. Black is also acceptable. Follow a person’s preference. See black.

afterward

Not afterwards

ages

Always use figures. When the context does not require “years” or “years old”, the figure is presumed to be “years”. Ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun use hyphens: A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old. The boy, 7, has a sister, 10. The woman, 26, has a daughter 2 months old. The law is 8 years old. The race is for 3-year-olds. The woman is in her 30s (no apostrophe).

AIDS

Acceptable in all references for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sometimes written as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Albert and Alberta

School mascots

all right

Never alright. Hyphenate only as unit modifier he is an all-right student.

All-Southeastern Conference

All-SEC on second reference

allude, elude

To allude is to make an indirect reference to something. To elude someone or something is to avoid, evade or escape from the person or thing.

alma mater

Lowercase

already, all ready

Already means having occurred, all ready means prepared.

although, though

These are often interchangeable. Although is most often the first word of a concessive clause Although she was tired, she accepted. Though does not always come first: Tired though she was, she accepted. Though is the more common in linking single words or phrases wiser though poorer.

Alumni Association

UF National Alumni Association on first reference, alumni association on second reference. For up-to-date information, contact the UF National Alumni Association at 392-1691.

alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae

Use alumnus (alumni in the plural) when referring to a man who has attended a school. Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) for similar references to a woman. Use alumni when referring to groups of men and women. Anyone who has ever attended the University of Florida is an alumnus. See alumni association.

American College Test

ACT on second reference.

among

See between.

animals

Do NOT apply a personal pronoun to an animal unless its sex has been established or the animal has a name: The dog was scared; it barked. Rover was scared; he barked. The cat, which was scared, ran to its basket. Susie the cat, who was scared, ran to her basket. The bull tosses its horns. Capitalize the name of a specific animal, and use Roman numerals to show sequence: Bowser, Whirlaway II. For breed names, follow the spelling and capitalization in Webster’s New World Dictionary. For breeds not listed in the dictionary, capitalize words derived from proper nouns; use lowercase elsewhere: basset hound, Boston terrier.

annual

An event cannot be described as annual until it has been held in at least two successful years. Do NOT use the term first annual. Instead, note that sponsors plan to hold an event annually.

anybody, any body, anyone, any one

One word for an indefinite reference: anyone can do it. Two words when the emphasis is on singling out one element of a group: any one of them can do it.

Army

Capitalize when referring to U.S. forces: the U.S. Army, the Navy, Air Force regulations. Do NOT use abbreviations. Use lowercase for the forces of other nations: the French army. This approach has been adopted for consistency, because many foreign nations do NOT use army as the proper name.

as

See like.

Asian-Americans

A person of Asian birth or descent who lives in the U.S. When possible refer to a person’s country of origin. For example: Filipino-America or Indian-American. Follow the person’s preference.

assistant

Do NOT abbreviate. Capitalize only when part of a formal title before a name: Assistant Secretary of State George Ball. Whenever practical, however, an appositional construction should be used: George Ball, assistant secretary of state.

associate

Never abbreviate. Apply same capitalization norms listed under assistant.

association

Do NOT abbreviate. Capitalize as part of a proper name: American Medical Association.

Association for Women Faculty

AWF or the association on second reference.

Association of American Universities

AAU or the association on second reference. UF is one of 62 universities in the AAU (60 in U.S., two in Canada). Only two SEC universities are members of AAU: UF and Vanderbilt. Other Southern schools in AAU include: Duke, Univ. of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Univ. of Virginia, Univ. of Texas, Texas A&M, and Tulane.

Austin Cary Memorial Forest

2,000-acre preserve 13 miles north of Gainesville. Acquired by UF in 1936 and managed by the School of Forest Resources and Conservation.

average

Average refers to the result obtained by dividing a sum by the number of quantities added together: The average of 7, 9, 17, is 33 divided by 3, or 11.