C

C                  Commonwealth
C-PLAN      Communist Party Legislative Action Network (9)
C                  [Degrees] Celsius
C-Span         Congressional Coverage Cable Network
CAC            Christian Action Council (1)
CACM         Central American Common Market
CAEU          Council of Arab Economic Unity
CAH            Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
CAHEA       Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation
CALC          Clergy & Laity Concerned (12)
CALM         Custody Action for Lesbian Mothers (5,7)
CAMPUS    Coalition of American Pro-Life University Students (1)
CAN            Cult Awareness Network
CAP             Children Awaiting Parents
CAP             Committee for American Principles
CAPD          Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis
CARAL        California Abortion Rights Action League (5)
CARAL        Canadian Abortion Rights Action League (5)
CARD          Committee Against Registration and the Draft (12)
CARE           Co-operative for American Remittances to Everywhere
CARE           Counseling for Abortion-Related Experiences (1)
CARICOM   Caribbean Community and Common Market
CARR           Coalition Against the Radical Right (4)
CASE           Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism (1)
CBA             Christian Booksellers Association
CBC             Congressional Black Caucus
CBC             Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
CBE             Center for Biomedical Ethics
CBPP           Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
CBS             Columbia Broadcasting System
CBSS           Council of the Baltic Sea States
CBTV          Coalition for Better Television (3)
CCA            Christian Community Association
CCAR          Central Conference of American Rabbis
CCBA          Coalition of Concerned Black Americans
CCC            Customs Cooperation Council
CCCB          Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
CCD             Confraternity of Christian Doctrine
CCEL           Christian Civic Education League
CCF             Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (of Canada)
CCL             Conference for 'Catholic' Lesbians (7)
CCL             Couple to Couple League (1)
CCPA          Catholics for Christian Political Action (1)
CCR             Center for Constitutional Rights (5)
CCR             Citizens for Congressional Reform
CCREF         Conservative Caucus Research and Education Fund
CCS              Clergy Consultation Service (5)
CD                Congressional district
CDA              Catholic Daughters of America
CDB              Caribbean Development Bank
CDC              Centers for Disease Control
CDF              Children's Defense Fund (5)
CDI               Center for Defense Information
CDL              Citizens for Decency Through Law (3)
CDRR           Committee for the Defense of Reproductive Rights (5)
CE                 [International Society of] Christian Endeavor
CE                 Council of Europe
CEAO           Communaute Economique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (West African 
                         Economic Community (CEAO))
CED              Committee for Economic Development
CEDPA         Centre for Development and Population Activities (5)
CEEAC         Communaute Economique des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale (Economic
                         Community of Central African States (CEEAC))
CEI                Central European Initiative
CEIP             Carnegie Endowment for National Peace (12)
CEMA           Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA, COMECON)
CEO              Chief executive officer
CEP               Council on Economic Priorities
CEP               Council on Environmental Quality (11)
CEPGL          Communaute Economique des Pays des Grands Lacs (Economic
                         Community of the Great Lakes Countries)
CERES          Center for Research in Education and Sexuality
CERN            Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire (European Organization 
                         for Nuclear Research (CERN))
CETA            Comprehensive Employment and Training Act
CFA              Committee for Future America
CFC              Chlorofluourocarbons
CFC              Combined Federal Campaign
CFD              Concern for Dying (6)
CFFC            'Catholics' for a Free Choice (5)
CFR               Code of Federal Regulations
CG                 Contadora Group
CGD              Chronic granulomatous disease
CHA              Catholic Health Association
CHA              Christian Holiness Association
CHAMPUS   Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services
CHAMPVA   Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Veterans Administration
CHAP            Child Health Assurance Program
CHAUS         Catholic Health Association of the United States
CHCE            Center for Health Care Ethics
CHD              Campaign for Human Development
CHEER          Center for Homosexual Education, Evaluation and Research (7)
CHILD           Christians Helping in Life's Defense (1)
CHOICE        Concern for Health Options, Information, Care and Education (5)
CHSA            Consumer Health Service of America
CIA                Central Intelligence Agency
CICRED        Committee for International Cooperation in National Research in 
                          Demography (5)
CID                Criminal Investigation Department ("Scotland Yard")
CIDA             Canadian International Development Agency
CIF                 Conservation International Foundation
CIN                Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
CIOMS          Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences
CIS                Center for Inter-American Security
CISPES         Committee in Solidarity With the People of El Salvador (12)
CISS              Chromosomal in-situ suppression hybridization
CIV                Cultures, ideas and values [course]
CJ                  Chief Justice
CJR                Citizens for Judicial Restraint
CLC               Campaign Life Coalition (1)
CLC              Clergy and Laity Concerned (12)
Clear-TV        Christian Leaders for Responsible Television (3)
CLF               Conservation Law Foundation
CLRCR          Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights (1)
CLS               Critical Legal Studies
CLS               Christian Legal Society (1)
CLW              Council for a Livable World
CM                Calendar method ("rhythm")
CM                Congregation for the Mission
CM-BBT        Cervical Mucus-Basal Body Temperature
CMA              Catholics for a Moral America (1,3)
CMAC           Catholic Marriage Advisory Council
CMEA            Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CEMA, COMECON)
CMF              Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation
CMA              Canadian Medical Association
CN-M            Certified nurse-midwife
CNF               Conservation Network Foundation
CNN              Cable News Network
CNS               Central nervous system
CNS               Committee for National Security
CO                 Conscientious objector
CODEL          Coordination in Development
COMECON  Coordinating Committee on Export Controls (CEMA, CMEA)
                         Con-Con Constitutional Convention
CONRAD      Contraceptive Research and Development Program, Eastern Virginia 
                          Medical School (5)
CONUS         Continental United States
COPE            Committee on Political Education
COR              Coalition on Revival
CORE            Congress of Racial Equality
COYOTE       Cast Off Your Old Tired Ethics
CP                  Colombo Plan
CP                  Congregation of the Passion
CP                  Communist Party (9)
CPA               Certified public accountant
CPA               Center for Policy Alternatives
CPB               Corporation for Public Broadcasting
CPC               Crisis Pregnancy Center (1)
CPE               Council on Population and Environment
CPF               Committee to Protect the Family
CPFH             Center for Population and Family Health, Columbia University (5)
CPG               Catholic Physicians Guild (1)
CPG               Catholic Pharmaceutical Guild (1)
CPGAF          Committee on Population Growth and the American Family
CPM              Cesarian Prevention Movement
CPS               Contraceptive Prevalence Surveys
CPS               Current Population Surveys
CPUSA          Communist Party of the United States of America (9)
CR                 Calendar rhythm
CRA              Center for Reproductive Alternatives
CRASH          Center for Reproductive and Sexual Health (5)
CRASH          Committee Against Racism, Sexism, and Heterosexism (5,7)
CREOG          Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology
CRF               Constitutional Rights Foundation
CRLP             Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (5)
CRTI              Center for the Rights of the Terminally Ill
CRW              Council of Religious Women
CS                 Christian Science (practitioner)
CSC               Civil Service Commission
CSC               Congregatio Sanctae Crucis (Congregation of the Holy Cross)
CSCE             Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe
CSCPA          Committee for Social Change and Political Action
CSE               Classroom sex education system
CSER             Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion (4)
CSFC             Committee for the Survival of a Free Congress
CSII               Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion
CSOW           Commission on the Status of Women
CSP                Center for Security Policy
CSSP             Center for Studies of Suicide Prevention
CSsR             Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris (Congregation of the Most Holy
                          Redeemer)
CT                 Certified teacher
CTFA            Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association
CTS               Catholic Truth Society
CTSA            Catholic Theological Society of America
CTW              Children's Television Network
CU                 Consumer's Union
CUA              Catholic University of America
CUDESH       Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (4)
CUF               Catholics United for the Faith (1)
CUL               Catholics United for Life (1)
CULT            Catholics United Against Liberation Theology
CURE            Citizens United for Responsible Education
CURE            Citizens United Resisting Euthanasia (2)
CUSA            Cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator
CUT              Church Universal and Triumphant
CVS              Chorionic Villi Sampling
CW                Conventional wisdom
CWA             Concerned Women for America (1,2,3)
CWLA           Child Welfare League of America
CWRR           'Catholic' Women for Reproductive Rights (5)
CWU             Church Women United

B

BA                Bachelor of Arts
BACAOR     Bay Area Coalition Against Operation Rescue (5,7)
BAD             Banque Africaine de Developpement [African Development Bank 
                        (AfDB)]
BADEA        Banque Arabe de Developpement Economique en Afrique (Arab Bank 
                        for Economic Development in Africa (ABEDA))
BATF           Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
BB/BSA       Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America
BBA             Balanced Budget Amendment
BBB             Better Business Bureau
BBC             British Broadcasting Corporation
BBT             Basal body temperature
BCFA          Birth Control Federation of America (5)
BCIE            Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economico (Central American
                       Bank for Economic Integration (BCIE))
BCR             Benefit-cost ratio
BCS             Bethany Christian Services (1)
BD               Bachelor of Divinity
BDEAC       Banque de Developpment des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale (Central
                        African States Development Bank (BDEAC))
BIDS            Birth Defects Information System
BEU             Benelux Economic Union
BGCS          Boyhood Gender Conformity Scale
BID              Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (Inter-American Development Bank
                        (IADB))
BIP               Basic infertile pattern
BIRTH          Born Individuals Rescuing the Helpless (1)
BIS               Bank for International Settlements
BM               Basal metabolism
BMA            British Medical Association
BOAD          Banque Ouest-Africaine de Developpement (West African Development
                        Bank (WADB))
BOHICA      Bend over here it comes again!
BOM            Billings Ovulation Method
BORN          Bi-State Operation Rescue Network (1)
BPOE           Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
BS                Bachelor of Science
BSA             Boy Scouts of America
BSCS           Biological Sciences Curriculum Study
BSEC           Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone
BVM            Blessed Virgin Mother
BWMT         Black and White Men Together (7)
BWS            Better World Society (5,10)

Meaning of Abbreviation

An abbreviation (from Latin brevis, meaning short) is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase. For example, the word abbreviation can itself be represented by the abbreviation abbr., abbrv. or abbrev.

Lets Start with a list of abbreviations starting with:
A:

A&A            Amniocentesis and abortion
AA               American Atheists (4)
AAA            Americans Against Abortion (1)
AAA            American Adoption Agency
AAAS          American Association for the Advancement of Science
AACP         American Academy of Child Psychiatry (5)
AAD            Alliance Against Defamation (7)
AAFP          American Academy of Family Physicians (5)
AAHA         American Academy of Health Administration (5)
AAHS          Americans Against Human Suffering (6)
AAI              Alternatives to Abortion International (1)
AAL             American Abolitionist League (1)
AAMCH      American Association of Maternal & Child Health (5)
AAME         American Academy of Medical Ethics
AAMFT       American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
AANFP       American Academy of Natural Family Planning (1)
AANP         American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
AANS         American Academy of Neurological Surgeons
AAP            American Academy of Pediatrics (5)
AAR            American Academy of Religion
AARP          American Association of Retired Persons
AAS             American Association of Suicidology
AAS             Abortion Abolition Society (1)
AASECT      American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (5)
AASK          Aid to Adoption of Special Kids
AATB          American Association of Tissue Banks (5)
AAUN         American Association of the United Nations
AAUW        American Association of University Women (5)
ABA            American Booksellers' Association
ABA            American Bar Association (5)
ABC            American Baby Code
ABC            American Broadcasting Company
AB               American Birth Control League (later Planned Parenthood)
ABEDA        Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa
ABM            Anti-ballistic missile
ABMS         American Board of Medical Specialties
ABOG         American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Abp              Archbishop
ABS             American Bible Society
ACA            Americans for a Constitutional Amendment
ACA            Americans for Constitutional Action
ACA            Arms Control Association
ACC            Arab Cooperation Council
ACCL          American Citizens Concerned for Life (1)
ACCT          Agence de Cooperation Culturelle et Technique (Agency for Cultural and
                        Technical Cooperation)
ACE             Alliance for Chastity Education (1)
ACE             American Council on Education
ACF             Americans for Constitutional Freedom
ACGME       Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
ACHR          American Convention on Human Rights
ACL             American Collegians for Life (1)
ACLA          American Catholic Lawyers Association
ACLU          American Civil Liberties Union (5,6,7,8)
ACNM        American College of Nurse-Midwives
ACOG         American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (5)
ACOOG      American College of Osteopathic Obstetricians and Gynecologists
ACOP          American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians
ACP             American College of Physicians
ACP             African, Caribbean, and Pacific Countries
ACS             Americans for Common Sense
ACS             American College of Surgeons
ACT-UP      AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (7)
ACTH          Adrenocorticotropic hormone
ACW           Action for World Community
AD               Anno DominiADA            Americans for Democratic Action (5)
ADA            Adenosine deaminase
ADL             Anti-Defamation League [of B'nai B'rith] (5)
ADRDAA    Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association
AE               Artificial embryonation
AE                American Education Association
AEA             Adoption Exchange Program
AEC             Atomic Energy Commission
AED             Academy for Educational Development (5)
AEI               American Enterprise Institute
AELC           Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches
AEU             American Ethical Union (4)
AFA             American Family Association (formerly National Federation for Decency)
                        (1,3)
AFAM         Ancient Free and Accepted Masons
AFC             Apostolate for Family Consecration (1)
AfDB            African Development Bank
AFDC          American Family Defense Coalition (1)
AFDC          Aid for Families with Dependent Children
AFE             Americans for the Environment (11)
AFESD         Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development
AFGE           American Federation of Government Employees
AFJ              Alliance for Justice
AFL-CIO     American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
AFL             Adolescent Family Life
AFLM          Advocates for Life Ministries (1)
AFMCH      American Foundation for Maternal and Child Health
AFP             [Maternal] alpha-feto protein
AFS             American Fertility Society (5)
AFSC          American Friends Service Committee (5)
AFSCME     American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
AFT             American Federation of Teachers (5)
AG               Attorney general
AG               Andean Group
AGA            Alliance of Gay Artists (7,8)
AGA            American Gay Atheists (4,7)
AGA            American Genetic Association
AGI              Alan Guttmacher Institute (5)
AGP            Association of Gay Psychologists (7)
AGPA          American Group Psychotherapy Association
AGS             American Geriatrics Society
AGS             American Gynecological Society
AHA            American Hospital Association (5)
AHA            American Humane Association
AHA            American Historical Association
AHA            American Humanist Association (4,5,6,7,8)
AHEA          American Home Economics Association (5)
AI                 Amnesty International
AI                 Artificial insemination
AI                 Artificial intelligence
AIAA            Americans for International Aid and Adoption
AID              Artificial insemination (by donor)
AID              [United States] Agency for International Development (5)
AIDS            Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AIFR            American Institute of Family Relations
AIH              Artificial insemination (by husband)
AIHCA        American Indian Health Care Association
AIM             Accuracy in Media (3)
AIM             American Indian Movement
AIPOP         American Institute of Public Opinion Poll
AIR-PLUS   American Information Route Toward a Pro-Life United States (1)
AISA            Adoption Information Service Agency
AIUM           American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
AJC              American Jewish Congress (5)
AJOG           American Journal of Obstetrics and GynecologyAKA             Also known as
AL                Arab League
ALA             American Library Association (8)
ALADI         Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion; (Latin American 
                        Integration Association (LAIA))
ALC             American Lutheran Church
ALD             Adrenoleukodystrophy
ALEC           American Legislative Exchange Council
ALERT         American Life Education and Research Trust (1)
ALF             Animal Liberation Front (10)
ALG             American Lawyer's Guild (5)
ALI               American Law Institute
ALI               American Liberties Institute
ALL              American Life League (1)
ALL              American Life Lobby (1)
ALMA          Adoptee's Liberty Movement Association
ALS              Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
ALSE            Advocates for Gay and Lesbian State Employees (7)
AMA             American Medical Association (5)
AMEN          AIDS in Multi-Ethnic Neighborhoods Study
AMEND       Moms Experiencing Neonatal Death
AMF             Arab Monetary Fund
AMFAR        American Foundation for AIDS Research
AMOS          Assumptions are the mother of all screwups
AMU            Arab Maghreb Union
AMWA        American Medical Women's Association
ANA            American Nurses Association (5)
ANC            African National Congress (9)
ANM           Auxiliary nurse-midwife
ANZUS       Australia-New Zealand-United States Security Treaty
AOA            American Orthopsychiatric Association
AOG            Assembly of God
AOH            Ancient Order of Hibernians
AORN          American Association of Registered Nurses
AP                Associated Press
APA             American Psychoanalytic Association
APA             American Psychiatric Association (5)
APA             American Pharmaceutical Association
APA             American Psychological Association (5,7)
APC             American Parents Committee
APCW         Adolescent Pregnancy Childwatch Project
APEC           Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
APHA           American Public Health Association (5)
APHA           American Protestant Hospital Association
APL              Adopted People for Life (1)
APLIC          Association for Population/Family Planning and Information Centers (5)
APO             Army Post Office
APPP            Association of Planned Parenthood Physicians (5)
APS              Artificial placentation system
APSH           Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps
APTN           American Public Television Network
APWU          American Postal Workers Union (5)
ARAC          Animal Rights Activists for Choice (5,10)
ARAL           Association to Repeal Abortion Laws (5)
ARC             American Red Cross
ARC             AIDS-Related Complex
ARF             Animal Rights Front (10)
ARHO          Association of Reproductive Health Officials (5)
ARHP           Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (5)
ARL              Americans for Religious Liberty
ARM            Abortion Rights Mobilization (5)
ARMS          Abortion-Related Ministries (1)
ARP             Association for Retarded Persons
ARSC           Abortion Survivors Rescue Committee (1)
ARV             AIDS-related virus
ASA             Association for the Study of Abortion (5)
ASA             American Sociological Association
ASAHP        Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions
ASAP           As soon as possible
ASAT           Anti-satellite weapons
ASC             American Security Council
ASCAP        American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
AsDB           Asian Development Bank
ASEAN        Association of Southeast Asian Nations
ASF              American Suicide Foundation
ASHA          American Social Health Association
ASHG          American Society of Human Genetics
ASHS           Association of Secular Humanist Societies (4)
ASLM          American Society of Law and Medicine (5)
ASM            American Society of Mammologists
ASMA         American Student Medical Association
ASPEN        American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (6)
ASRC          Abortion Survivors Rescue Committee
AT&T           Atlantic Telephone and Telegraph
ATCC          American Type [Cell] Culture Collection
ATL              Association of Trial Lawyers
ATP              Adenosine triphosphate
AU               Angstrom unit
AUL             Americans United for Life (1)
AUSCS        Americans United for Separation of Church and State (4)
AVA             American Victims of Abortion (1)
AVC             American Veterans Committee
AVDA          American Venereal Disease Association
AVDP          Avoirdupois
AVES           Australian Voluntary Euthanasia Society
AVS             Association for Voluntary Sterilization (5)
AWMA        American Women's Medical Association (5)
AWOL         Absent without leave
AZT             Azidothymidine