Contents
Note-taking symbols and abbreviations! Here’s a list of essential symbols and abbreviations for note-taking that will help you write more quickly and efficiently.
Note-Taking Symbols and Abbreviations
Abbreviations For Note Taking
List of note-taking abbreviations in English from A to Z.
- approx.: Approximately
- b/c: Because
- b/4: Before
- bk.: Book
- C: (e.g. 21C for ‘twenty-first century’)
- c.: Approximately, roughly, about (abbreviation for the Latin ‘circa’)
- cf.: Compared to, in comparison with
- cp.: Compare
- def.: Definition
- diff.: Different, difference
- ea.: Each
- e.g.: For example
- fr.: From
- etc.: And so on
- i.e.: That is, that means, in other words
- impt.: Important
- NB: Important, notice this, note well
- nec.: Necessary
- re.: Regarding, about
- sim.: Similar
- s/t: Something
- T.: Theory, theoretical
- tho’: Though
- thro’: Through
- w/: With
- w/o: Without
- viz.: Namely, that is to say
- v.: Very
- vv.: Extremely
- vs.: Against
- ppl: People
- res: Research
- natl: National
- eqn: Equation
- ed: Education
- dep: Department
- esp: Especially
- ustand: Understand
- Am.: Morning
- Pm.: Afternoon
- asap: As soon as possible
- Wrt: With respect to
- =ity: Equality
- evryt: Everything
- infl: Influence
- r.: Rate (i.e. birth r.)
- devel: Development
- expl: Explanation
- trad: Traditional
- cult: Cultural
- instit: Institution
- justific: Justification
- nt: Nothing
- lrg: Large
- soc.: Social or society
- Stats: Statistics
- Am’t: Amount
- educat’l: Educational
- subj: Subject
- cons: Conservative
- ind: Individual
- ckg: Checking
- estg: Establishing
- Expting: Experimenting
- bkgd: Background
- ppd: Prepared
- prblm: Problem
- C19: Nineteenth century; similarly C20 etc.
- 1920s: i.e. 1920-1929; similarly 1970s etc.
- Ltd: Limited
- max.: Maximum
- min.: Minimum
- G.B.: Great Britain
- U.K: United Kingdom
- Eng.: English
- Brit.: British
- Sts: Students
Symbols For Speedy Note-Taking
List of note-taking symbols in English from A to Z.
- 2: To, two, too
- 4: For
- 8: Anything ending in ‘ate’
- +: And, also, as well as, in addition to, plus
- – : Minus, without
- ≠: Does not equal, is not the same as, does not result in
- ≈: Is approximately equal to, is similar to
- =: Equals, is the same as, results in
- >: Is greater than, is larger than
- ↑: Increase, rise, growth
- <: Is less than, is smaller than
- ↑↑: Rapid increase
- ↓ : Decrease, fall, shrinkage
- ↓↓: Rapid decrease
- ∴ : Therefore, thus
- ∵ : Because
- → : Leads on to, produces, causes
- x : No, not, incorrect
- xx : Definitely not, disproved
- ? : Uncertain, possibly, unproven, question
- ✓ : Yes, correct
- ✓✓: Definitely, certain, proven
- # : Number
- ✳ : Special, important, notable (when added to a word or phrase)
- / : Per (e.g., £50/day instead of ‘fifty pounds per day’)
- ! : Not, isn’t
- @: At
- ∝: Proportional to
- Δ : Change
- ♀️: Female or women
- ♂️: Male or men
- … : Means space in quote
Specific Historical Terms
- 19thC or 19C: 19th Century
- WWI: World War I
- WWII: World War II
- Indust. Rev.: Industrial Revolution
- Fren. Rev.: French Revolution
- Rus. Rev.: Russian Revolution
- Nat Soc or Nazism: National Socialism
- Prus: Prussian
- US: United States or American
- Brit or GB: Great British or Britain
- Eng.: English or England
- Germ.: German
- Fr.: French, France
Less Frequently Used Abbreviations For Note Taking
- A: Answer
- adm.: Administration
- adj.: Adjective, adjourned, adjustment
- abr.: Abridged
- abbr.: Abbreviation, abbreviated
- acad.: Academic, academy
- aka.: Also known as
- app.: Appendix
- assoc.: Association
- biol.: Biology
- bibliog.: Bibliography
- bot.: Botanical, botany
- cap.: Capital, capitalise
- chap.: Chapter
- chem.: Chemical
- co.: Company
- colloq.: Colloquial, colloquialism
- conf.: Conference, confer
- cont.: Containing, content, continental, continue, continued
- com.: Commercial, commission, common, communication, community
- cr.: Credit
- crit.: Criticism
- diag.: Diagram
- disc.: Discovered
- dist.: Distinguished
- div.: Dividend, division
- distr.: Distribution, distributed
- econ.: Economics, economy
- esp.: Especially
- est.: Established, estimate
- ex.: Examined, example
- excl.: Excluding
- f.: Feminine, feminism, frequency
- gen.: Gender, general
- govt.: Government
- hist.: Historian, historical, history
- illus.: Illustrated
- inc.: Including
- info.: Information
- lang.: Language
- m.: Male
- orig.: Original, originated
- p. / pp.: Page / pages
- para.: Paragraph
- poss.: Possible, possibly
- prin.: Principal
- prob.: Problem, probable, probably
- probs: Problems
- prob.: Produced by, producer, production
- pt./pts.: Part, point / parts, pts
- Q.: Question
- ref.: Refer, reference
- reg.: Region, registered, regular, regulation
- rev.: Review, revision
- sci.: Science, scientific
- sect.: Section
- sp.: Special, species, specific
- st.: Study, student
- univ.: Universal, university
- usu.: Usually
- vers.: Version
- yr.: Year
Symbols and Abbreviations For Note Taking | Pictures
Useful Abbreviations for Note Taking | Image 5
Abbreviations for Note Taking | Image 6
How to Take Note Quickly | Video
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