This list of Singapore abbreviations sets out abbreviations that are commonly used in Singapore.
Overview Abbreviations are of three basic kinds: Clippings, in which a shortened form of a word occurs. Common clippings in Singapore are: air-con (from "air-conditioner"), condo (from "condominium"), sabo (from "sabotage"),Brown, Singapore English in a Nutshell, above, p. 187. and cert (from "certificate"). Acronyms, in which the initial letters are formed into a single word, such as scuba, which is derived from "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus". Creation of acronyms such as this is rare in Singaporean English, though TIBS (, "Trans-Island Bus Service") and CISCO (, "Commercial and Industrial Security Corporation") are found.Brown, Singapore English in a Nutshell, above, p. 112. Initialisms, in which the individual letters are spelled out. This is by far the most common category in Singapore, including PAP ("People's Action Party") and PIE ("Pan-Island Expressway"), which are pronounced and respectively and never and . Some analysts regard such initialisms a kind of acronym,Low & Brown, English in Singapore, above, p. 70. but others prefer to distinguish between the two categories.Deterding, Singapore English, above, p. 77.
Initialisms are extremely common in Singapore, and many have become better known and more widely used than the full form of the words they represent. One example is Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital ("Kandang Kerbau" is often abbreviated to KK, creating "KK Women's and Children's Hospital"), which is more commonly referred to as KKH.
Initialisms for government departments and public institutions are the most important category of initialisms in Singapore. Among the earliest examples are PUB ("Public Utilities Board") and HDB ("Housing Development Board"). Abbreviations such as these were especially important in the past when most Singaporeans were not educated in English, and their use facilitated communication in the public services where the main administrative language is English. Government departments have therefore promoted the use of these initialisms, so they occur even in non-English publications. Although the younger generation of Singaporeans are now all educated in English, abbreviations remain a major characteristic of Singapore English.
There are efforts to maintain consistency among the initialisms. Three letters are used for government institutions (PUB, HDB, CPF, MOH, CWO) and for expressways (AYE, PIE, KJE), while two letters are used for polytechnics (SP, RP). To maintain this consistency, some abbreviations are not direct initials; for example, CTE is used for "Central Expressway" instead of *CE, and NP is used for "Ngee Ann Polytechnic" instead of *NAP. When the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was established in 1991, the name was chosen instead of the alternative "Nanyang University of Technology" because the latter would have resulted in the unsuitable NUT, while Anderson Secondary School has shortened its name to ANDSS instead of ASS.
Recently, there have emerged a number of unconventional abbreviations, such as A*STAR for Agency for Science, Technology and Research.) When SAFTI (Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute) was reorganised in 1995, it acquired the name SAFTI Military Institute, further abbreviated as SAFTI MI, which, when fully expanded, would form Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute Military Institute.
Abbreviations
0–9 4D - 4-Digits, a Singapore lottery 5 C's - Five Cs of Singapore: Cash, Car, Credit card, Condominium, Country club 6 C's - Six Cs of Singapore: Career, Cash, Car, Credit card, Condominium, Country club
A AA - Asian Aerospace ABS - Association of Banks in Singapore ABSD - Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty ACDT - AVS-Accredited Certified Dog Trainer ACJC - Anglo-Chinese Junior College ACM - Asian Civilisations Museum ACRA - Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority ACRES - Animal Concerns Research and Education Society ACS (J) - Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) ACS (P) - Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) ACS - Anglo-Chinese School ACS(I) - Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) ACSBR - Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) AFTA - ASEAN Free Trade Area A & G - Allen & Gledhill, a law firm AG - Attorney-General AGC - Attorney-General's Chambers AHS - Anglican High School AISS - Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School, Australian International School Singapore AJ - (Pig Latin slang) Gay (typically male) AJC - Anderson Junior College (now merged with Serangoon Junior College to form Anderson Serangoon Junior College) ALL - Animal Lovers League AMDK - (slang, derogatory) White man (from ang moh dua kee) AMK - Ang Mo Kio AMP - Association of Muslim Professionals AMTP - Adult Monthly Travel Pass ANDSS - Anderson Secondary School APB - Asia Pacific Breweries APP - Assistant Public Prosecutor (see also "DPP" and "PP") APPLES - Application for Passport On-line Electronic System AR - Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court of Singapore ART:DIS - Arts & Disability (non-profit organization) ASD - Action for Singapore Dogs ASEF - Asia-Europe Foundation ASRJC - Anderson Serangoon Junior College A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research (formerly NSTB) AVA - Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore AVS - Animal and Veterinary Service AWARE - Association of Women for Action and Research AWWA - Asian Women Welfare Association AY - Academic Year AYE - Ayer Rajah Expressway
B BB - Boys' Brigade BBSS - Bukit Batok Secondary School BC - Birth Certificate BCA - Building and Construction Authority BCAA - BCA Academy BCM - Bus Contracting Model BCRS - Beverage Container Return Scheme BBDC - Bukit Batok Driving Centre BBFA - (internet slang) Bui Bui Forever Alone BBT - Bukit Batok / Bubble Tea BDK - Bedok BDS - Bedok South Secondary School BF - Buddhist Fellowship (Singapore) BGR - (slang) boy-girl relationship BJ - Bugis Junction BKE - Bukit Timah Expressway BMT - Basic Military Training BOA - Board of Architects BPGHS - Bukit Panjang Government High School BPLRT - Bukit Panjang LRT Line BPP - Bukit Panjang Plaza BPT - Basic Police Training BPJ - Bukit Panjang BRT - Basic Rescue Training BSEP - Bus Service Enhancement Programme BTNR - Bukit Timah Nature Reserve BTO - Build To Order (HDB) BTS - Baptist Theological Seminary BTT - Basic Theory Test BTVSS - Bukit View Secondary School BTYSS - Beatty Secondary School BVSS - Buona Vista Secondary School BWSS - Bowen Secondary School
C CAAS - Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore CAG - Changi Airport Group CAS - Causes for Animals Singapore CASE - Consumers Association of Singapore CBD - Central Business District CBP - Changi Business Park CBPU - Central Building Plan Unit CBS - Community Based Sentence CCA - Co-curricular activity CCC - Chinese Chamber of Commerce; Citizen's Consultative Committee CCHS - Chung Cheng High School CCK - Choa Chu Kang CCL or CC - Circle MRT line CCNR - Central Catchment Nature Reserve CCP - Career Conversion Programme CCR - Core Central Region CCS or CCCS - Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore CDAC - Chinese Development Assistance Council CDA - Communicable Diseases Agency CDC - Community Development Council or ComfortDelGro Driving Centre CDE - Centre for Domestic Employees CDG - ComfortDelGro CDP - Central Depository CEA - Council for Estate Agencies CECA - Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between India and Singapore CEPAS - Contactless e-Purse Application System CGH - Changi General Hospital CHC - City Harvest Church CHIJ - Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus CHS - Catholic High School, Singapore CID - Criminal Investigation Department CIP - Community Involvement Project (now replaced by "VIA") CIQ - Custom & Immigration Quarantine CIS - Corporate Individual Scheme CJ - Chief Justice CJC - Catholic Junior College CLTPA - Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act CMC - Chinese Media & Communication CMPB - Central Manpower Base CNA - Channel NewsAsia CNB - Central Narcotics Bureau CNY - Chinese New Year COAW - Code of Animal Welfare COE - Certificate of Entitlement COMPASS - Complementarity Assessment Framework or Composers and Authors Society of Singapore COP - Committee of Privileges COTMA - COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 CPA - Council of Presidential Advisers CPF - Central Provident Fund CPFB - Central Provident Fund Board CPIB - Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau CREATE - Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise CRL - Cross Island MRT line CS - Century Square CSA - Cyber Security Agency CSC - Community Sports Club or Civil Service College CSM - City Square Mall CSO - Community Service Order CTE - Central Expressway CTSS - Clementi Town Secondary School CWO - Corrective Work Order or Community Work Order CWP - Causeway Point CWS - Cat Welfare Society CYPA - Children and Young Persons Act
D D & D - Dinner & Dance, a function usually organised annually by companies D & N - Drew & Napier LLC, a law firm DART - Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team DBS - Development Bank of Singapore (now known as DBS Bank) DBSS - Design, Build and Sell Scheme DHS - Dunman High School DJ - District Judge DMN - Dunman Secondary School DOS - Department of Statistics Singapore DPM - Deputy Prime Minister DPP - Deputy Public Prosecutor (see also "APP" and "PP") or Direct Entry Scheme to Polytechnic Programme (via ITE) DR - Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court or the Subordinate Courts of Singapore DRC - Drug Rehabilitation Centre DRO - Day Reporting Order DSO - Defence Science Organisation DSTA - Defence Science and Technology Agency DTE - Downtown East DTF - Din Tai Fung DTL or DT - Downtown MRT line DTSWG - Dog Training Standards Workgroup
E EASE - Enhancement for Active Seniors EC - Executive Condominium ECDA - Early Childhood Development Agency ECP - East Coast Park / East Coast Parkway ECPS - East Coast Primary School EDB - Economic Development Board EDP - Endeavour Primary School or Electronic Deferred Payment EDSO - Enhanced Direct Supervision Order EFSS - Edgefield Secondary School eGAP - eGovernment Action Plan EIP - Ethnic Integration Policy EJC - Eunoia Junior College ELD - Elections Department Singapore EMA - Energy Market Authority EP - Employment Pass or Exit Permit EPMA - Environmental Protection and Management Act EPR - Extended Producer Responsibility ERP - Electronic Road Pricing ESPS - East Spring Primary School ESR - Economic Strategy Review EWL or EW - East–West MRT line
F FAS - Financial Assistance Scheme or Football Association of Singapore FAST - Fast And Secure Transfers FCBC - Faith Community Baptist Church FDW - Foreign Domestic Worker FEC - Future Economy Council FFL - Families for Live FG - Filmgarde Cineplexes FHSS - Fuhua Secondary School FIN - Foreign Identification Number FMSS - Fairfield Methodist Secondary School FMPS or FFP - Fairfield Methodist Primary School FOSS - Forum of Small States FTT - Final Theory Test FT - Foreign Talent
G GAD - Go and Die GAS - Go-Ahead Singapore GB - Girls' Brigade GBTB - Gardens by the Bay GCB - Good Class Bungalow GCE - General Certificate of Education GCM - Government Contracting Model (now replaced by Bus Contracting Model) GCT - Goh Chok Tong GE - General Election, Great Eastern GEP - Gifted Education Programme GIC - Government of Singapore Investment Corporation GIS - Global Indian School GLC - Government-Linked Company GLS - Government Land Sales GovTech - Government Technology Agency GP - General Practitioner, General Paper, Gladiolus Place GRA - Gambling Regulatory Authority GRC - Group representation constituency GSS - Great Singapore Sale GST - Goods and Services Tax GV - Golden Village GWA - GEMS World Academy GWC - Great World City GYSS - Guangyang Secondary School
H