24     Abbreviations

24.1   General Principles

          24.1.1   Types of Abbreviations

          24.1.2   When to Use Abbreviations

          24.1.3   How to Format Abbreviations

24.2   Names and Titles

          24.2.1   Personal Names

          24.2.2   Professional Titles

          24.2.3   Academic Degrees

          24.2.4   Agencies, Companies, and Other Organizations

24.3   Geographical Terms

          24.3.1   Place-Names

          24.3.2   Addresses

24.4   Time and Dates

          24.4.1   Time

          24.4.2   Days and Months

          24.4.3   Eras

24.5   Units of Measure

24.6   The Bible and Other Sacred Works

          24.6.1   Jewish Bible/Old Testament

          24.6.2   Apocrypha

          24.6.3   New Testament

          24.6.4   Versions of the Bible

          24.6.5   Other Sacred Works

24.7   Abbreviations in Citations and Other Scholarly Contexts

This chapter offers general guidelines for using abbreviations. Abbreviations in formal writing were once limited to a few special circumstances, but they are now widely used in writing of all kinds. Even so, their use must reflect the conventions of specific disciplines. The guidelines presented here are appropriate for most humanities and social science disciplines. If you are writing a paper in the natural or physical sciences, mathematics, or any other technical field, follow the conventions of the discipline.

In some disciplines you may need to use abbreviations not covered here. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary gives many abbreviations from many fields. Another resource is chapter 10 of The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition (2010). For style guides in various disciplines, see the bibliography.

If you are writing a thesis or dissertation, your department or university may have specific requirements for using abbreviations, which are usually available from the office of theses and dissertations. If you are writing a class paper, your instructor may also ask you to follow certain principles for using abbreviations. Review these requirements before you prepare your paper. They take precedence over the guidelines suggested here.

24.1 General Principles

24.1.1 Types of Abbreviations

Terms can be shortened, or abbreviated, in several ways. When a term is shortened to only the first letters of each word and pronounced as a single word (NATO, AIDS), it is called an acronym; if the letters are pronounced as a series of letters (EU, PBS), it is called an initialism. Other terms are shortened through contraction: just the first and last letters of the term are retained (Mr., Dr., atty.), or the last letters are dropped (ed., Tues.). This chapter treats all of these forms under the general term abbreviations, with distinctions between types noted as relevant.

24.1.2 When to Use Abbreviations

In most papers, use abbreviations only sparingly in text because they can make your writing seem either too informal or too technical. This chapter covers types of abbreviations that are preferred over spelled-out terms and others that are considered acceptable in academic writing if used consistently.

If your local guidelines allow it, you may use abbreviations for names, titles, and other terms used frequently in your paper. Give the full term on first reference, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. For subsequent references, use the abbreviation consistently. If you use more than a few such abbreviations, consider adding a list of abbreviations to the front matter of the paper to aid readers who might miss your first reference to an abbreviation (see A.2.1).

Abbreviations are more common, and are often required, outside the text of the paper. This chapter discusses some abbreviations that may be used in tables, figures, and citations. For additional discussion of abbreviations in tables and figures, see chapter 26; for abbreviations in bibliography-style citations, see 16.1.6 and chapter 17; for abbreviations in author-date citations, see 18.1.6 and chapter 19.

24.1.3 How to Format Abbreviations

Although abbreviations follow the general principles discussed here, there are many exceptions.

Capitalization. Abbreviations are given in all capital letters, all lowercase letters, or a combination.

   BC
CEO
US

   p.
a.m.
kg

   Gov.
Dist. Atty.
PhD

Punctuation. In general, abbreviations given in all capital letters do not include periods, while those given in lowercase or a combination of capital and lowercase letters have a period after each abbreviated element. However, as you can see from the examples above, there are exceptions: metric units of measure (see 24.5) are in lowercase without periods; and no periods are used for academic degrees, whether or not they include lowercase letters (see 24.2.3). Other exceptions are noted throughout this chapter.

Spacing. In general, do not leave a space between letters in acronyms (NATO) and initialisms (PBS), but do leave a space between elements in abbreviations formed through shortening (Dist. Atty.), unless the first element is a single letter (S.Sgt.). If an abbreviation contains an ampersand (&), do not leave spaces around it (Texas A&M). For spaces in personal names, see 24.2.1.

Italics. Abbreviations are not normally italicized unless they stand for an italicized term (OED, for Oxford English Dictionary).

Indefinite articles. When an abbreviation follows an indefinite article, choose between a and an depending on how the abbreviation is read aloud. Acronyms (NATO, AIDS) are pronounced as words; initialisms (EU) are read as a series of letters.

   member nation of NATO
a NATO member

   person with AlDS
an AlDS patient

   member nation of the EU
an EU member

   the FFA
an FFA chapter

24.2 Names and Titles

24.2.1 Personal Names

In general, do not abbreviate a person’s first (Benj. Franklin) or last name. Once you have used a full name in text, use just the person’s last name in subsequent references. However, if you are referring to more than one person with that last name, use first names as necessary to avoid confusion (Alice James, William James). If you refer to these names very frequently in your paper, you may instead use abbreviations that you devise (AJ, WJ), but be sure to use these abbreviations as specified in 24.1.2.

Some individuals are known primarily by initials in place of a first and/or middle name. Such initials should be followed by a period and a space. If you abbreviate an entire name, however, omit periods and spaces.

G. K. Chesterton
but
JFK

M. F. K. Fisher
but
FDR

Social titles such as Ms. and Mr. should always be abbreviated and capitalized, followed by a period. In most papers, however, you need not use such titles unless there is a possibility of confusion, such as referring to either a husband or a wife.

Write abbreviations such as Sr., Jr., III (or 3rd), and IV (or 4th) without commas before them. Normally these abbreviations are used only after a full name, although royal and religious figures may be known only by a first name. In frequent references to a father and a son, shortened versions may be used (Holmes Sr.), but only after the full name has been presented. Do not spell out the term when it is part of a name (for example, not John Smith Junior).

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
William J. Kaufmann III
Mary II

24.2.2 Professional Titles

Some individuals have civil, military, or religious titles such as the following along with their personal names. Many of these titles are conventionally abbreviated rather than spelled out in text when they precede and are capitalized as part of a personal name.

Adm.

Admiral

Ald.

Alderman, Alderwoman

Atty. Gen.

Attorney General

Capt.

Captain

Col.

Colonel

Dist. Atty.

District Attorney

Dr.

Doctor

Fr.

Father

Gen.

General

Gov.

Governor

Hon.

Honorable

Lt.

Lieutenant

Lt. Col.

Lieutenant Colonel

Maj.

Major

Pres.

President

Rep.

Representative

Rev.

Reverend

Sen.

Senator

Sgt.

Sergeant

S.Sgt.

Staff Sergeant

Sr.

Sister

St.

Saint

On first reference to an individual with such a title, use the abbreviation with the person’s full name. (If you prefer, you may spell out the titles, but do so consistently.) For subsequent references, you may usually give just the person’s last name, but if you need to repeat the title (to distinguish two people with similar names, or as a disciplinary sign of respect), give the spelled-out title with the last name. Never use Honorable or Hon. except with a full name. If you spell out Honorable or Reverend before a full name, the title should be preceded by the.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin
Senator Durbin

Adm. Michael Mullen
Admiral Mullen

Rev. Jane Schaefer
Reverend Schaefer

Hon. Patricia Birkholz
Birkholz

or

the Honorable Patricia Birkholz

If you use one of these titles alone or after a personal name, it becomes a generic term and should be lowercased and spelled out.

the senator from Illinois
Mullen served as an admiral

An exception to the general pattern is Dr. Use either the abbreviation Dr. before the name or the official abbreviation for the degree (see 24.2.3), set off with commas, after the name. Do not use both together.

Dr. Lauren Shapiro discovered the cause of the outbreak.

Lauren Shapiro, MD, discovered …

Dr. Shapiro discovered …

The doctor discovered …

In addition to academic degrees (24.2.3), here are a few professional titles that may be abbreviated following a personal name. Such titles should be set off with commas, as in the examples above.

JP
justice of the peace

LPN
licensed practical nurse

MP
member of Parliament

SJ
Society of Jesus

24.2.3 Academic Degrees

You may use abbreviations in text and elsewhere for the common academic degrees. Some of the more common degrees are noted in the following list. Most are initialisms (see 24.1.1), which are written in capital letters, without periods or spaces. Others contain both initials and shortened terms and therefore both capital and lowercase letters, also without periods or spaces. Traditionally all these forms appeared with periods (M.A., Ph.D., LL.B.), a style still preferred by some institutions.

AB

artium baccalaureus (bachelor of arts)

AM

artium magister (master of arts)

BA

bachelor of arts

BD

bachelor of divinity

BFA

bachelor of fine arts

BM

bachelor of music

BS

bachelor of science

DB

divinitatis baccalaureus (bachelor of divinity)

DD

divinitatis doctor (doctor of divinity)

DMin

doctor of ministry

DO

osteopathic physician (doctor of osteopathy)

EdD

doctor of education

JD

juris doctor (doctor of law)

LHD

litterarum humaniorum doctor (doctor of humanities)

LittD

litterarum doctor (doctor of letters)

LLB

legum baccalaureus (bachelor of laws)

LLD

legum doctor (doctor of laws)

MA

master of arts

MBA

master of business administration

MD

medicinae doctor (doctor of medicine)

MFA

master of fine arts

MS

master of science

PhB

philosophiae baccalaureus (bachelor of philosophy)

PhD

philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy)

SB

scientiae baccalaureus (bachelor of science)

SM

scientiae magister (master of science)

STB

sacrae theologiae baccalaureus (bachelor of sacred theology)

24.2.4 Agencies, Companies, and Other Organizations

You may use abbreviations in text and elsewhere for the names of government agencies, broadcasting companies, associations, fraternal and service organizations, unions, and other groups that are commonly known by acronyms or initialisms (see 24.1.1). Spell out the full name on first reference, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses (see 24.1.2). Such abbreviations are in full capitals with no periods. Here is a representative list of such abbreviations; other names within these categories (for example, ABA, CBS, and NEH) should be treated similarly.

AAAS
AFL-CIO
AMA
AT&T
CDC
CNN
EU
FTC
HMO
NAACP
NAFTA
NFL
NIMH
NSF
OPEC
TVA
UN
UNESCO
WHO
YMCA

If a company is not commonly known by an abbreviation, spell out and capitalize its name in the text. The names of some companies contain abbreviations and ampersands. If in doubt about the correct form, look up the company name at its corporate website or, for historical forms, in an authoritative reference. You may omit such terms as Inc. or Ltd. from the name, and do not capitalize the word the at the beginning of the name. Subsequent references can drop terms such as & Co. or Corporation.

Merck & Co.
RAND Corporation
the University of Chicago Press

In tables, figures, and citations, you may use any of the following abbreviations in company names.

Assoc.
Bros.
Co.
Corp.
Inc.
LP (limited partnership)
Mfg.
PLC (public limited company)
RR (railroad)
Ry. (railway)

24.3 Geographical Terms

24.3.1 Place-Names

In text, always spell out and capitalize the names of countries, states, counties, provinces, territories, bodies of water, mountains, and the like (see 22.1.1).

Always spell out United States when using it as a noun. When using it as an adjective, you may either abbreviate it to US or spell it out (for a more formal tone).

She was ineligible for the presidency because she was not born in the United States.

His US citizenship was revoked later that year.

In tables, figures, citations, and mailing addresses, abbreviate the names of US states using the two-letter postal codes created by the US Postal Service.

AK

Alaska

AL

Alabama

AR

Arkansas

AZ

Arizona

CA

California

CO

Colorado

CT

Connecticut

DC

District of Columbia

DE

Delaware

FL

Florida

GA

Georgia

HI

Hawaii

IA

Iowa

ID

Idaho

IL

Illinois

IN

Indiana

KS

Kansas

KY

Kentucky

LA

Louisiana

MA

Massachusetts

MD

Maryland

ME

Maine

Ml

Michigan

MN

Minnesota

MO

Missouri

MS

Mississippi

MT

Montana

NC

North Carolina

ND

North Dakota

NE

Nebraska

NH

New Hampshire

NJ

New Jersey

NM

New Mexico

NV

Nevada

NY

New York

OH

Ohio

OK

Oklahoma

OR

Oregon

PA

Pennsylvania

Rl

Rhode Island

SC

South Carolina

SD

South Dakota

TN

Tennessee

TX

Texas

UT

Utah

VA

Virginia

VT

Vermont

WA

Washington

Wl

Wisconsin

WV

West Virginia

WY

Wyoming

You may also abbreviate the names of Canadian provinces and territories where state names would be abbreviated.

AB

Alberta

BC

British Columbia

MB

Manitoba

NB

New Brunswick

NL

Newfoundland and Labrador

NS

Nova Scotia

NT

Northwest Territories

NU

Nunavut

ON

Ontario

PE

Prince Edward Island

QC

Quebec

SK

Saskatchewan

YT

Yukon

24.3.2 Addresses

In text, spell out and capitalize terms that are part of addresses, including those listed below and similar ones (other synonyms for street, for example). In tables, figures, citations, and mailing addresses, use the abbreviations. Note that all the abbreviations use periods except for the two-letter initialisms (such as NE). See 23.1.7 for an example of an address in text.

Ave.

Avenue

Blvd.

Boulevard

Ct.

Court

Dr.

Drive

Expy.

Expressway

Pkwy.

Parkway

Rd.

Road

Sq.

Square

PI.

Place

St.

Street

N.

North

S.

South

E.

East

W.

West

NE

Northeast

NW

Northwest

SE

Southeast

SW

Southwest

24.4 Time and Dates

24.4.1 Time

You may use the abbreviations a.m. (ante meridiem, or before noon) and p.m. (post meridiem, or after noon) in text and elsewhere to designate specific times. The abbreviations should be lowercase and in roman type. Do not combine them with in the morning, in the evening, or o’clock; see also 23.1.5.

24.4.2 Days and Months

In text, spell out and capitalize the names of days of the week and months of the year; see also 23.3.1. In tables, figures, and citations, you may abbreviate them if you do so consistently. (Note that some months in this system are not abbreviated.)

Sun.
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thur.
Fri.
Sat.

Jan.
Feb.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.

24.4.3 Eras

There are various systems for designating eras, all of which use abbreviations with numerical dates. BC and AD are the most common designations, though BCE and CE may be used instead. To refer to the very distant past, a designation such as BP or MYA may become necessary. AD precedes the year number; the other designations follow it (see also 23.2.4 and 23.3.2).

BC

before Christ

AD

anno Domini (in the year of the Lord)

BCE

before the common era

CE

common era

BP

before the present

MYA (or mya)

million years ago

24.5 Units of Measure

In the humanities and social sciences, spell out the names of units of measure such as dimensions, distances, volumes, weights, and degrees. Spell out the numbers or use numerals according to the general rule you are following (see 23.1.1).

five miles
150 kilograms
14.5 meters

In the sciences, use standard abbreviations for units of measure when the amount is given in numerals. (You may use abbreviations in other disciplines, depending on your local guidelines.) Leave a space between the numeral and the unit, except where convention dictates otherwise (36°; 512K), and note that abbreviations are the same in singular and plural. Spell out units of measure when they are not preceded by a number or when the number is spelled out (as at the beginning of a sentence; see 23.1.2.1).

We injected 10 µL of virus near the implants.

Results are given in microliters.

Twelve microliters of virus was considered a safe amount.

For a list of abbreviations including common units of measure, see 10.52 of The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition (2010).

24.6 The Bible and Other Sacred Works

When you refer in text to whole chapters or books of the Bible or the Apocrypha, spell out the names of the books, but do not italicize them.

Jeremiah 42–44 records the flight of the Jews to Egypt.

The Revelation of St. John the Divine, known as “Revelation,” closes the New Testament.

When you cite biblical passages by verse (see 17.5.2 and 19.5.2), abbreviate the names of the books, using arabic numerals if they are numbered (1 Kings). Also use arabic numerals for chapter and verse numbers, with a colon between them. Since different versions of the scriptures use different names and numbers for books, identify the version you are citing. Depending on the context, you may either spell out the name of the version, at least on first occurrence, or use abbreviations (see 24.6.4), without preceding or internal punctuation.

1 Song of Sol. 2:1–5 NRSV
Ruth 3:14 NAB

The following sections list both traditional and shorter abbreviations for the books of the Bible, arranged in alphabetical order. If you are unsure which form of abbreviation is appropriate, consult your instructor. Where no abbreviation is given, use the full form.

24.6.1 Jewish Bible/Old Testament

Note that the abbreviation for Old Testament is OT.

Traditional

Shorter

Full name

Amos

Am

Amos

1 Chron.

1 Chr

1 Chronicles

2 Chron.

2 Chr

2 Chronicles

Dan.

Dn

Daniel

Deut.

Dt

Deuteronomy

Eccles.

Eccl

Ecclesiastes

Esther

Est

Esther

Exod.

Ex

Exodus

Ezek.

Ez

Ezekiel

Ezra

Ezr

Ezra

Gen.

Gn

Genesis

Hab.

Hb

Habakkuk

Hag.

Hg

Haggai

Hosea

Hos

Hosea

Isa.

Is

Isaiah

Jer.

Jer

Jeremiah

Job

Jb

Job

Joel

Jl

Joel

Jon.

Jon

Jonah

Josh.

Jo

Joshua

Judg.

Jgs

Judges

1 Kings

1 Kgs

1 Kings

2 Kings

2 Kgs

2 Kings

Lam.

Lam

Lamentations

Lev.

Lv

Leviticus

Mal.

Mal

Malachi

Mic.

Mi

Micah

Nah.

Na

Nahum

Neh.

Neh

Nehemiah

Num.

Nm

Numbers

Obad.

Ob

Obadiah

Prov.

Prv

Proverbs

Ps. (plural Pss.)

Ps (plural Pss)

Psalms

Ruth

Ru

Ruth

1 Sam.

1 Sm

1 Samuel

2 Sam.

2 Sm

2 Samuel

Song of Sol.

Sg

Song of Solomon (Song of Songs)

Zech.

Zec

Zechariah

Zeph.

Zep

Zephaniah

24.6.2 Apocrypha

The books of the Apocrypha are included in Roman Catholic but not Jewish or Protestant versions of the Bible. Note that the traditional abbreviation for Apocrypha is Apoc. (no shorter abbreviation).

Traditional

Shorter

Full name

Bar.

Bar

Baruch

Bel and Dragon

Bel and the Dragon

Ecclus.

Sir

Ecclesiasticus (Sirach)

1 Esd.

1 Esdras

2 Esd.

2 Esdras

Jth.

Jdt

Judith

1 Macc.

1 Mc

1 Maccabees

2 Macc.

2 Mc

2 Maccabees

Pr. of Man.

Prayer of Manasses (Manasseh)

Song of Three Children

Song of the Three Holy Children

Sus.

Susanna

Tob.

Tb

Tobit

Wisd. of Sol.

Ws

Wisdom of Solomon

Additions to Esther (Rest of Esther)

24.6.3 New Testament

Note that the abbreviation for New Testament is NT.

Traditional

Shorter

Full name

Acts

Acts of the Apostles

Apoc.

Apocalypse (Revelation)

Col.

Col

Colossians

1 Cor.

1 Cor

1 Corinthians

2 Cor.

2 Cor

2 Corinthians

Eph.

Eph

Ephesians

Gal.

Gal

Galatians

Heb.

Heb

Hebrews

James

Jas

James

John

Jn

John (Gospel)

1 John

1 Jn

1 John (Epistle)

2 John

2 Jn

2 John (Epistle)

3 John

3 Jn

3 John (Epistle)

Jude

Jude

Luke

Lk

Luke

Mark

Mk

Mark

Matt.

Mt

Matthew

1 Pet.

1 Pt

1 Peter

2 Pet.

2 Pt

2 Peter

Phil.

Phil

Philippians

Philem.

Phlm

Philemon

Rev.

Rv

Revelation (Apocalypse)

Rom.

Rom

Romans

1 Thess.

1 Thes

1 Thessalonians

2 Thess.

2 Thes

2 Thessalonians

1 Tim.

1 Tm

1 Timothy

2 Tim.

2 Tm

2 Timothy

Titus

Ti

Titus

24.6.4 Versions of the Bible

These abbreviations cover many standard versions of the Bible. If the version you are citing is not listed here, consult your instructor.

ARV

American Revised Version

ASV

American Standard Version

AT

American Translation

AV

Authorized (King James) Version

CEV

Contemporary English Version

DV

Douay Version

ERV

English Revised Version

EV

English version(s)

JB

Jerusalem Bible

NAB

New American Bible

NEB

New English Bible

NRSV

New Revised Standard Version

RSV

Revised Standard Version

RV

Revised Version

Vulg.

Vulgate

24.6.5 Other Sacred Works

Many sacred works of other religious traditions are divided into parts similar to those of the Bible. Capitalize and set in roman type the names of the works themselves (Qur’an [or Koran], Vedas), but italicize the names of their parts (al-Baqarah, Rig-Veda). Although there is no widely accepted method for abbreviating the names of these works or their parts, you may punctuate citations from them similarly to those from the Bible (see also 17.5.2 and 19.5.2). If a work has multiple numbered divisions, you may substitute periods or commas for colons or make other adaptations to clarify the location of the cited passage.

Qur’an 2:257 or Qur’an 2 (al-Baqarah): 257

Mahabharata 1.2.3

If your paper is in religious studies, consult your instructor for more specific guidance.

24.7 Abbreviations in Citations and Other Scholarly Contexts

Many abbreviations are commonly used and even preferred in citations, especially for identifying the roles of individuals other than authors (ed., trans.), the parts of works (vol., bk., sec.), and locating information (p., n). For guidelines on using abbreviations in citations, see 16.1.6 and chapter 17 or 18.1.6 and chapter 19.

In text, it is usually better to spell things out. Common abbreviations like e.g., i.e., and etc., if used, should be confined to parentheses (see 21.8.1).

Following is a list of some of the most common abbreviations encountered in citations and other scholarly contexts. Unless otherwise shown, most form the plural by adding s or es. None of them are normally italicized.

abbr.

abbreviated, abbreviation

abr.

abridged, abridgment

anon.

anonymous

app.

appendix

assn.

association

b.

born

bib.

Bible, biblical

bibliog.

bibliography, bibliographer

biog.

biography, biographer

bk.

book

ca.

circa, about, approximately

cap.

capital, capitalize

CD

compact disc

cf.

confer, compare

chap.

chapter

col.

color (best spelled out); column

comp.

compiler, compiled by

cont.

continued

corr.

corrected

d.

died

dept.

department

dict.

dictionary

diss.

dissertation

div.

division

DOI

digital object identifier

DVD

digital versatile (or video) disc

ed.

editor, edition, edited by

e.g.

exempli gratia, for example

enl.

enlarged

esp.

especially

et al.

et alii or et alia, and others

etc.

et cetera, and so forth

ex.

example

fig.

figure

ff.

and following

fol.

folio

ftp

file transfer protocol

http

hypertext transfer protocol

ibid.

ibidem, in the same place

id.

idem, the same

i.e.

id est, that is

ill.

illustrated, illustration, illustrator

inf.

infra, below

intl.

international

intro.

introduction

l. (pl. II.)

line (best spelled out to avoid confusion with numerals 1 and 11)

loc. cit.

loco citato, in the place cited (best avoided)

misc.

miscellaneous

MS (pl. MSS)

manuscript

n (pl. nn)

note

natl.

national

n.b. or NB

nota bene, take careful note

n.d.

no date

no.

number

n.p.

no place; no publisher; no page

NS

New Style (dates)

n.s.

new series

op. cit.

opera citato, in the work cited (best avoided)

org.

organization

OS

Old Style (dates)

o.s.

old series

p. (pl. pp.)

page

para. or par.

paragraph

pers. comm.

personal communication

pl.

plate (best spelled out); plural

PS

postscriptum, postscript

pseud.

pseudonym

pt.

part

pub.

publication, publisher, published by

q.v.

quod vide, which see

r.

recto, right

repr.

reprint

rev.

revised, revised by, revision; review, reviewed by

ROM

read-only memory

sd.

sound

sec.

section

ser.

series

sing.

singular

soc.

society

sup.

supra, above

supp.

supplement

s.v. (pl. s.vv.)

sub verbo, sub voce, under the word

syn.

synonym, synonymous

t.p.

title page

trans.

translated by, translator

univ.

university

URL

uniform resource locator

usu.

usually

v. (pl. vv.)

verse; verso, right

viz.

videlicet, namely

vol.

volume

vs. or v.

versus (in legal contexts, use v.)