Office of the Historian

List of abbreviations and symbols

Editor’s Note.—This list does not include standard abbreviations in common usage; unusual abbreviations of rare occurrence which are clarified at appropriate points; and those abbreviations and contractions which, although uncommon, are understandable from the context.

  • ACR, Advisory Committee on Requirements
  • AEC, Atomic Energy Commission
  • AFL, American Federation of Labor
  • AG, shallow water craft river tug (Auxiliaries, Miscellaneous)
  • AID, Agency for International Development
  • AM, mine sweeper
  • Amb, Ambassador
  • AMG, Allied Military Government
  • AmLeg, American Legation
  • AMVat, American Mission at the Vatican
  • AP, Associated Press
  • ARA, Office of American Republics Affairs (after October 3, 1949, Bureau of Inter-American Affairs), Department of State
  • BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation
  • BCP, Bulgarian Communist Party
  • BOT, Board of Trade (United Kingdom)
  • BPT, patrol craft (torpedo boat)
  • BritMin, British Minister
  • C, Counselor of the Department of State
  • CAD, Civil Affairs Division, General Staff, U.S. Army
  • CC, Central Committee
  • CEMA, Council for Mutual Economic Assistance
  • CFM, Council of Foreign Ministers
  • CG, Consul General
  • CGIL, Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (General Confederation of Labor in Italy)
  • CGT, Confédération Générale du Travail (General Confederation of Labor in France)
  • CIA, Central Intelligence Agency
  • CIO, Congress of Industrial Organizations
  • circ agams, circular airgrams
  • cirgram, circular airgram
  • cirins and cirinstr, circular instruction
  • cits, citizens
  • CM, Career Minister
  • CMEA, see CEMA
  • Combal, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Representatives to the United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans
  • Cominform, Communist Information Bureau
  • Comparty, Communist Party CP, Communist Party
  • CPSU, Communist Party of the Soviet Union
  • CPY, Communist Party of Yugoslavia
  • CSA, Czechoslovak State Airlines
  • Delau, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegate for Austria at the Council of Foreign Ministers
  • DelECOSOC, Delegation to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
  • Delga, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Mission at the United Nations
  • Depcira, Depciragam, Depcirgam, and Depcirgram, Department of State circular airgram
  • Depcirin and Depcirinst, Department of State circular instruction
  • Depcirtel, Department of State circular telegram
  • Depins, Department instruction
  • Dept, Department (usually the Department of State)
  • Deptel, Department of State telegram
  • dipl, diplomatic
  • DP(s), displaced person(s)
  • E, Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs
  • ECA, Economic Cooperation Administration
  • Ecato, series indicator for telegrams from the Economic Cooperation Administration in Washington to its missions abroad
  • ECE, Economic Commission for Europe
  • Econ, series indicator for telegrams to the United States Delegation at the Economic Commission for Europe
  • ECOSOC, Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
  • EE, Division (after October 3, 1949, Office) of Eastern European Affairs, Department of State
  • Emb, Embassy
  • Embdes and Embdesp, Embassy despatch
  • Embtel, Embassy telegram
  • EP, Division of Economic Property Policy, Department of State
  • ERP, European Recovery Program
  • EUR, Office (after October 3, 1949, Bureau) of European Affairs, Department of State
  • EW, E–W, East–West
  • Exim Bank (Eximbank), Export-Import Bank of Washington
  • FACC, Foreign Assistance Correlation Committee
  • FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • FE, Office (after October 3, 1949, Bureau) of Far Eastern Affairs, Department of State
  • FMA, Foreign Military Assistance
  • FonMin, Foreign Minister
  • FonOff, Foreign Office
  • FSA, Foreign Service Alien
  • FSO, Foreign Service Officer
  • FSS, Foreign Service Staff
  • FYI, for your information
  • G, Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs
  • G–2, Intelligence section of the general staff of a large unit
  • GA, General Assembly of the United Nations
  • GATT, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  • GNA, Greek National Army
  • Gosplan, Soviet State Planning Commission
  • GRU, Graves Registration Unit
  • GTI, Division (after October 3, 1949, Office) of Greek, Turkish and Iranian Affairs, Department of State
  • HICOG, United States High Commissioner for Germany
  • HMG, His Majesty’s Government (United Kingdom)
  • IBD, Division of International Broadcasting, Department of State
  • IBRD, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
  • ICAO, International Civil Aviation Organization
  • ICFTU, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions
  • ICJ, International Court of Justice
  • ILS, Division of International Labor and Social Affairs, Department of State
  • IMP, Division of International Motion Pictures, Department of State
  • infotel, information telegram
  • INP, Division of International Press and Publications, Department of State
  • IR, International Resources Division, Department of State
  • INS, International News Service
  • instrs, instructions
  • Intel, circular information telegram
  • IRO, International Refugee Organization
  • ITO, International Trade Organization
  • ITP, Office of International Trade Policy, Department of State
  • JCS, Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • JDC, Joint Distribution Committee
  • L/E, Office of the Legal Adviser (Economic Affairs), Department of State
  • L/P, Office of the Legal Adviser (Political Affairs), Department of State
  • LCI(L), landing craft, infantry (large)
  • LCM, landing craft, mechanized
  • LCM(3), landing craft, medium, or mechanized
  • LCS, landing craft, support
  • LCT, landing craft, tank
  • LCVP, landing craft, vehicle and personnel
  • Leg, Legation
  • Legtel, Legation telegram
  • LOT, Polish State Air Service
  • MA, Military Attaché
  • MAP, Military Assistance Program
  • MCA, Ministry of Civil Aviation
  • ME, Middle East
  • MFA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • MFN, most-favored-nation
  • MGB, Ministry of State Security of the Soviet Union
  • Min(s), Minister(s)
  • ML, motor launch
  • MOS, British Ministry of Supply
  • MP, Marshall Plan
  • MPO, Military Permit Office (US-UK-France)
  • MVD, Ministry for Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union
  • mytel, my telegram
  • NA, Division (after October 3, 1949, Office) of Northeast Asian Affairs, Department of State
  • NAC, National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Problems
  • NAP, North Atlantic Pact
  • NAT, North Atlantic Treaty
  • NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • NEA, Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (after October 3, 1949, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian and African Affairs), Department of State
  • niact, night action, communications indicator requiring attention by the recipient at any hour of the day or night
  • NME, National Military Establishment
  • Noce, series indicator for telegrams from the United States Delegation at the Economic Commission for Europe
  • NOE, Division of Northern European Affairs, Department of State
  • NSC, National Security Council
  • NSRB, National Security Resources Board
  • NVV, Netherlands Federation of Labor
  • OAS, Organization of American States
  • OEEC, Organization for European Economic Cooperation
  • OFD, Office of Financial and Development Policy, Department of State
  • OGIZ, Association of State Publishing Houses of the Soviet Union
  • OII, Office of International Information, Department of State
  • OIR, Office of Intelligence Research, Department of State
  • OIT, Office of International Trade, Department of Commerce
  • OMGUS, Office of Military Government for Germany (United States)
  • OSR, Office of the Special Representative in Europe for the Economic Cooperation Administration
  • ourtel, our telegram
  • OVIR, Bureau of Visas and Registration of Foreigners, in the Ministry for Internal Affairs of the Soviet Union
  • P, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs
  • PAA, and PanAm, Pan American Airways
  • paras, paragraphs
  • POW(s), prisoner(s) of war
  • PPS, Policy Planning Staff, Department of State
  • PR, Protocol Staff, Department of State
  • PriMin, Prime Minister
  • PT, motor torpedo boat
  • PTC, submarine chaser, motor boats (patrol boats)
  • RCA, Radio Corporation of America
  • reDeptel (refDeptel), regarding (reference) Department telegram
  • reftel, reference telegram
  • reLegtel (refLegtei), regarding (reference) Legation telegram
  • reps, representatives
  • Repto, series indicator for messages from the Special Representative in Europe for the Economic Cooperation Administration
  • reur, regarding your
  • RIAS, United States Radio in the American Sector of Berlin
  • RPC, submarine chaser, small
  • S/P, Policy Planning Staff, Department of State
  • S/S–PR, Protocol Staff, Department of State
  • SC, Security Council of the United Nations
  • SC, submarine chaser (110’)
  • Sec, Secretary of State
  • SE, Division of Southeast European Affairs, Department of State
  • Secdel, series indicator for telegrams to the United States Delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers, at times headed by the Secretary of State
  • SMA, SMAG, Soviet Military Administration (Germany)
  • Sov, Soviet
  • Sov Del, Soviet Delegation, Delegate
  • Sovreps, Sovet representatives
  • Soyuzpechat, Administration for the Distribution of Printed Matter (in the Soviet Union)
  • SYG, Secretary-General
  • TASS, Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
  • TC, Division of Language Services, Department of State
  • Toeca, series indicator for telegrams to the Economic Cooperation Administration in Washington from its missions abroad
  • Topsec, top secret
  • Torep, series indicator for messages to the Special Representative in Europe for the Economic Cooperation Administration
  • TRC/S, Office of Transport and Communications, Shipping (after October 3, 1949, Office of Transport and Communications Policy, Shipping), Department of State
  • TUC, Trades Union Congress (British)
  • TWA, Trans World Airlines
  • U, Under Secretary of State
  • UM, Under Secretary’s Meeting
  • UNA, Office (after October 3, 1949, Bureau) of United Nations Affairs, Department of State
  • UNCOK, United Nations Commission on Korea
  • UNE, Division (after October 3, 1949, Office) of United Nations Economic and Social Affairs, Department of State
  • UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
  • UNGA, United Nations General Assembly
  • UNI, International Administration Staff, Department of State
  • UNICEF, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
  • UNO, United Nations Organization
  • UNRRA, United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
  • UNSC, United Nations Security Council
  • UNSCOB, United Nations Special Committee on the Balkans
  • UnSecy, Under Secretary
  • UP, United Press
  • ur, your
  • urtel, your telegram
  • USDA, United States Department of Agriculture
  • USDel, United States Delegation, Delegate
  • USIA, United States Information Agency
  • USIE, United States Information and Educational Exchange Program
  • USIS, United States Information Service
  • USPW’s, United States prisoners of war
  • USUN, United States Mission at the United Nations
  • VE Day, the day of Allied victory in Europe, May 8, 1945
  • VOA, VOUSA, Voice of America
  • WFTU, World Federation of Trade Unions
  • WP, working party
  • YMS, motor minesweeper
  • YR, floating workshop (repair barge)
  • Zecho, Czechoslovakia