ABBREVIATION - The Law Mind Legal Dictionary

ABBREVIATIONAuthored

The Law Mind • 806 words

Definition

In legal research and drafting, an abbreviation is a shortened form of a word, phrase, title, or proper name used to represent the whole. In the law library context, the term carries two related but distinct applications:

1. Citation abbreviations: Standardized shortened forms used to identify legal reporters, treatises, courts, jurisdictions, and other sources within case citations, legal writings, and indexes. These follow conventions that vary by era, jurisdiction, and publication.

2. Drafting abbreviations: Shortened forms appearing in legal instruments, statutes, and official records, where their proper interpretation may bear on the meaning of the document.

The practical weight of the term in legal research falls almost entirely on the first application — decoding the abbreviated source references found throughout historical and contemporary legal literature.

Common Language

Modern common usage (Wiktionary): A shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase used to represent the whole, using omission of letters, and sometimes substitution of letters, or duplication of initial letters to signify plurality; also the process of abbreviating.

Historical common usage (Webster's 1913): The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letters standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part.

The common definition and the legal definition are not far apart in structure, but the gap is practical rather than conceptual. In ordinary language, abbreviation is a transparent, everyday convenience. In legal research, an abbreviation can be opaque, jurisdiction-specific, historically variable, and — if misread — capable of sending a researcher to the wrong source entirely. "B." might mean Beavan, Barnardiston, or Barbour depending on context. The stakes of misidentification are higher than in ordinary usage.

Why It Matters in Research

Abbreviations are among the most consequential navigation problems in historical legal research. The Law Mind corpus contains legal sources spanning several centuries and multiple common law jurisdictions, and the same abbreviated string frequently refers to entirely different reporters, treatises, or courts depending on the period and the country of publication.

Several specific traps deserve attention:

Temporal ambiguity: Abbreviation conventions were not standardized across eras. A single letter or two-letter string that clearly identifies one reporter in an 1850 English text may mean something different in an 1890 American text and something different again in a Scottish or Irish source of either period.

Jurisdictional overlap: Bouvier's Law Dictionary includes extensive abbreviation tables covering English, Scottish, Irish, American, and colonial reporters alongside treatises and official records. Researchers working in American sources should not assume American referents for abbreviated strings that appear in English-format citations.

Reporter series confusion: Many reporters were published in multiple series, and abbreviations often fail to specify which series is intended without contextual reading. Abbreviated references to "New Cases" or "New Reports" recur across multiple jurisdictions.

Treatise abbreviations: In addition to reporters, historical legal sources heavily abbreviate treatise titles. A string like "Bing. L. & T." refers to Bingham on Landlord and Tenant — a treatise, not a reporter — and without an abbreviation key, the reference is opaque.

Cross-corpus connections: Researchers moving between the Law Mind Legal Dictionary and the Law Mind Encyclopedia will encounter abbreviated source references in encyclopedia entries. Decoding these accurately requires checking period-appropriate abbreviation tables, not modern citation guides alone.

Historical Dictionary Support

Bouvier's treatment of abbreviation is essentially taxonomic rather than analytical. The definition provided — a shortened form obtained by omission of letters or syllables — is accurate but spare. The substantive content of Bouvier's abbreviation entry is its extensive tables, which list hundreds of abbreviated reporter, treatise, and court names drawn primarily from English and American legal literature of the nineteenth century. These tables are a primary research tool for decoding historical citations and should be consulted as a reference list rather than read linearly.

Bouvier notes that ancient legal usage favored contracted forms created by dropping intermediate letters while retaining the initial and final — a form of abbreviation (sometimes called "contraction" or "suspension") distinct from the initial-letter abbreviations that dominate modern practice. This distinction matters when reading medieval or early modern legal manuscripts and printed texts, where "Wm" for "William" or "Sr" for "Sir" represent contractions of a type that can be confused with other kinds of shortening.

The historical dictionaries do not address the interpretive question of what happens when an abbreviation in a legal instrument is ambiguous or disputed — a question that arises occasionally in will construction and contract interpretation cases. That gap reflects the primarily reference-list function these sources assigned to the entry.

Rapalje & Lawrence and Burrill's Law Dictionary do not materially depart from Bouvier's approach to this term.

Encyclopedia Cross-Reference

See Law Mind Encyclopedia: Legal Citation Forms; Legal Reporters and Reports.

ABBREVIATIONmain

Bouvier's Law Dictionary • 1928

A shortened form of a word, obtained by the omission of one or more letters or syllables from the middle or end of the word. The abbreviations in common use in modern times consist of the initial letter or letters, syllable or syllables, of the word. Anciently, also, contracted forms of words, obtained by the omission of letters intermediate between the initial and final letters were much in use. These latter forms are now more commonly designated by the term contrac tion. Abbreviations are of frequent use in referring co text-books, reports, etc., and in indicating dates, but should be very sparingly employed, if at all, in for- mal and important legal documents. See 4 C. & P. 51; 9 Co. 48. No part of an indictment should con- tain any abbreviations except in cases where a fac- simile of a written instrument is necessary to be set out. 1 East 180, n. The variety and number of abbreviations are as nearly illimitable as the in- genuity of man can make them; and the advan- arising from their use are, to a great extent, counterbalanced by the ambiguity and uncertainty resulting from the usually inconsiderate selection which is made. The following list is believed to contain all abbreviations in common use. Where a shorter and a longer abbreviation are in common use, both are given. A. American, see Am.; anonymous A. a. B. b. "А" 3" back of a leaf. "front, "B" A. B. Anonymous Reports at end of Benloe's Re- ports, commonly called New Benloe. A. C. Appeal Cases, English Chancery; Law Reports Appeal Cases. 4. С. [1891] A. C. English Appeal Cases; Law Re- ports, 3d Series, 1891. [1892] 4. C. Same for 1892, etc. A. D. Anno Domini; in the year of our Lord. A. G. Attorney General. A. K. Marsh. A. K. Marshall's Reports, Kentucky. A. L. J. Albany Law Journal. A. Moo. A. Moore's Reports, in Bosanquet & Pul- ler. A. P. B. or Ashurst MSS. L. 1. L. Ashurst's Paper- books; the manuscript paper-books of Ashurst, J., Buller, J., Lawrence, J., and Dampier, J., in Lincoln's Inn Library. A. R. Anno Regnt; in the year of the reign. A. S. Acts of Sederunt, Ordinances of the Court of Session, Scotland. A. & A. Corp. Angell & Ames on Corporations. A. & E. Adolphus & Ellis's Reports, English King's Bench. A. & E. Encyc. American and English Encyclo- pædia of Law. A. & Ε. Ν. 8. Adolphus & Ellis's Reports, New Series, English Queen's Bench, commonly cited Q.B. A. & F. Fixt. Amos & Ferrard on Fixtures. Ab. Abridgment. Ab. Adm. Abbott's Admiralty Reports, U. S. Dist. Court, South. Dist. N. Y. Ab. App. Dec. Ab. Ct. App. or Ab. N. Y. Ct. App. Abbott's New York Court of Appeals Decisions. Ab. Eq. Cas. Equity Cases Abridged, English Chancery. Ab. N. Y. Dig. Abbott's Digest of New York Reports and Statutes. Ab. N. Y. Pr. or Ab. Pr. Abbott's Practice Re- ports, various New York courts. Ab. N. Y. Pr. N. 8. or Ab. Pr. N. S. Abbott's Praco- tice Reports, New Series, various New York courts. Ab. Nat. Dig. Abbott's National Digest. Ab. New Cas. Abbott's New Cases, various New. York courts. Ab. Ph Abbott's Pleadings under the Code. Ab. Pr. Abbott's Practice Reports, New York. Ab. Sh. Abbott (Lord Tenterden) on Shipping. Ab. U. S. Abbott's Reports, United States Dis- trict and Circuit Courts. Ab. U. S. Pr. Abbott's United States Courts Practice. Abdy's R. C. P. Abdy's Roman Civil Procedure. Abr. Abridgement. Abr. Cas. Eq. or Abr. Eq. Cas. Equity Cases Abridged, English Chancery. r Abs. Absolute. Acc. Accord or Agrees. Act. Acton's Reports, Prize Causes, English Privy Council. Act. Can. Monro's Acta Cancellarise. Act. Pr. C. Acton's Reports, Prize Causes, Eng- lish Privy Council. Act. Reg. Acta Regia. Ad. Cas. Sales. Adams' Cases on the Law of Sales. Ad. Con. Addison on Contracts. Ad. E. Adams on Ejectment. Ad. & Ell. Adolphus & Ellis's Reports, English King's Bench. Ad. & Ell. N. S. Adolphus & Ellis's Reports, New Series, English Queen's Bench, commonly cited

ABBREVIATIONmain

Bouvier's Law Dictionary • 1928

Bell Com. Bell's Commentaries on the Laws of Scotland. Bell. Cr. Cas. Beller's Criminal Cases, Bombay. Bell. Dell. U. L. Beller's Delineation of Universal Law. Bell Dict. Bell's Dictionary of the Law of Scot- land. Bell Dict. Dec. Bell's Dictionary of Decisions, Court of Session, Scotland. Bell El. L. Bell's Election Law of Scotland. Bell H. C. Cal. Bell's Reports High Court of Calcutta. Bell H. L. Bell's House ot Lords Cases, Scotch Appeal. Bell H. & W. Bell on Husband and Wife. Bell Illus. Bell's Illustration of Principles. Bell (In.). Bell's Reports, India. Bell L. Bell on Leases. Bell Notes. Bell's Supplemental Notes to Hume on Crimes. Bell P. C. Bell's Cases in Parliament. Bell Prin. Bell's Principles of the Law of Scot land. Bell Put. Mar. Bell's Putative Marriage Cases, Scotland. Rell S. Bell on Sales. Bell Sess. Cas. Bell's Cases in the Court of Ses- sion. Bell Styles. Bell's System of the Forms of Dee Is. Bell T. D. Bell on the Testing of Deeds. Bellais. Bellais's Criminal Cases, Bombay. Bellewe. Bellewe's Reports, English King's Bench, temp. Richard II. Bellewe Cas. Bellewe's Cases, temp. Henry VIII.; Brooke's New Cases: Petit Brooke. Bellingh. Tr. Report of the Bellingham Trial. Belt Sup. Ves. Belt's Supplement to Vesey Sen- ior's Reports. Belt Ves Sen. Reports. Ben. or Bt. 2d Circuit. Belt's Edition of Vesey Senior's Benedict's Reports, U. S. Dist. Court, Ben. Adm. Ben. Av. Benecke on Average. Benedict's Admiralty Practice. Ben. Just. Benedict on Justices of the Peace. Ben. F. I. I. Cas. Bennett's Fire Insurance Cases. Ben. Ins. Cas. Bennett's Insurance Cases. Bench & Bar. The Bench and Bar, Chicago. Bendl. Bendloe's or New Benloe's Reports, Eng- lish Common Pleas, Ed. of 1661. Benet Ct. M. Benet on Military Law and Courts Martial. Beng. L. R. Beng. S. D. India. Bengal Law Reports, India. Bengal Sudder Dewany Reports, Benj. Sales. Benjamin on Sales. Benl. Benloe's Reports, English Common Pieas. Benl. in Ashe. Benloe's Reports, at the end of Ashe's Tables. Benl. in Keil. Benloe's Report at the end of Keil- way's Reports. Benl. New. Benloe's Reports, English Common Pleas, Ed. of 1661. Benl. Old. Benloe's Reports, English Common Pleas, of Benloe & Dalison, Ed. of 1689. Benl. & Dal. Benloe & Dalison's Reports, Eng- 'lish Common Pleas. Benn. (Cal.). Bennett's Reports, California. Benn. (Mo.). Bennett's Reports, Missouri. Benn. (Dak.). Bennett's Dakota Reports. Benn. Diss. Bennett's Dissertation on the Pro- ceedings in the Master's Office in the Court of Chan- cery of England, sometimes cited Benn. Prac. Benn. Fire. Ins. Cas. Bennett's Fire Insurance Cases. Benn. Prac. See Benn. Diss. Benn. & H. Cr. Cas, Bennett & Heard's Criminal Cases. Benn. & Dig. Bennett & Heard's Massachusetts Digest. Lennett M. Sea Renn Diss. Bent. Bentley's Reports, Irish Chancery. Benth Es. or Benth. Jud. Ev. Bentham on Ra- tionale of Judicial Evidence. Benth. Leg. Bentham on Theory of Legislation. Bentl. Atty. Gen. Bentley's U. S. Attorney- General's Opinions. Berry. Berry's Reports, Missouri. Bert. Berton's Reports, New Brunswick. Besson Prec. Besson's New Jersey Precedents. Best Ev. Best on Evidence. Best Pres. Best on Presumptions. Best & S. Best & Smith's Reports, English Queen's Bench. Betts Adm. Pr. Betts's Admiralty Practice. Betts Dec. Blatchford & Howland's U. S. District Court Reports. Bev. Hom. Bevill on Homicide. Bev. (Ceylon). Beven's Ceylon Reports. Bibb. Bibb's Reports, Kentucky. Bick. Bicknell's Reports, Nevada. Bick. & H. (Nev.). Bicknell & Hawley's Nevada Reports. Bick. (In.). Bicknell's Reports, India. Biddle Retro. Leg. Biddle on Retrospective Leg- islation. Big. Bignall's Reports, India. Big. Bills & N. Bigelow on Bills and Notes. Big. Eq. Bigelow on Equity. Big. Estop. Bigelow on Estoppel. Big. Frauds. Bigelow on Frauds. Big. Jarm. Wills. Bigelow's Edition of Jarman on Wills. Big. L. & A. Ins. Cas. Bigelow's Life and Acci- dent Insurance Cases. Big. Lead. Cas. Bigelow's Leading Cases on Torts. Big. Over-ruled Cas. Bigelow's Over-ruled Cases. Big. Placita. Bigelow's Placita Anglo-Norman- nica. Bigg Cr. L. Bigg's Criminal Law. Bign. Bignall's Reports. India. Bilb. Ord. Ordinances of Bilboa. Bill: Ave. Billing on the Law of Awards. Bing. Bingham's Reports, English Common Pleas.

ABBREVIATIONmain

Bouvier's Law Dictionary • 1928

Bing. Des. Bingham on Descent. Bing. Inf. Bingham on Infancy. Bing. Judg. Bingham on Judgments and Execu- tions. Bing. L. & T. Bingham on Landlord and Tenant. Bing. N. C. Bingham's New Cases, English Com- mon Pleas. Bing. & Colv. Rents. Bingham & Colvin on Rents, etc. Binn. Binney's Reports, Pennsylvania. Binn Jus. Binn's Pennsylvania Justice. Bird Conv. Bird on Conveyancing. Bird L. &. T. Bird on Landlord and Tenant, Bird Sol. Pr. Bird's Solution of Precedents of Settlements. Biret de l'Abs. Traite de l'Absence et de ses effets, par M. Biret. Bish. Contr. Bishop on Contracts. Bish. Cr. L. Bishop on Criminal Law. Bish. Cr. Proc. Bishop on Criminal Procedure. Bish. Mar. & D. Bishop on Marriage and Di- vorce. Bish. Mar. Wom. Bishop on Married Women. Bisk. St. Cr. Bishop on Statutory Crimes. Bisph. Eq. Bispham's Equity. Biss. Bissell's Reports, U. S. Courts, 7th Circuit. Biss. Est. or Biss. Life Est. Bissett on Estates for Life. Biss. Part. Bissett on Partnership. Bitt. Bittleston's Reports in Chambers, Q. B. Bitt. Pr. Cas. Bittleston's English Practice Cases. Bitt. W. & P. Bittleston, Wise & Parnell's Re- ports. Bk. Judg. Book of Judgments, by Townsend. Bl. Black's Reports, U. S. Supreme Court. Bl. C. C. Blatchford's Reports, U. S. Circuit Court, 2d Circuit. Bl. Com. Blackstone's Commentaries. Bl. D. Blount's Law Dictionary. Bl. D. & O. Blackham, Dundas & Osborne's Re- ports, Ireland. Bl. H. Henry Blackstone's Reports, English, Bl. & How. Blatchford & Howland's Admiralty Reports, U. S. Dist. Court, Southern Dist. of N. Y. Bl. L. D. Blount's Law Dictionary. Bl. L. T. Blackstone's Law Tracts. Bl. Pr. Ca. Blatchford's Prize Cases, U. S. Dist. of N. Y. Bla. R. or Bla. Wm. William Blackstone's Reports, English. Bla. Com. Blackstone's Commentaries. Bla. W. W. Blackstone's Reports. Bla. H. H. Blackstone's Reports. Black. Black's Reports, U. S. Supreme Court. Black. (Ind.). Black's Reports, Indiana Reports, vols. 30-58. Black. H. Henry Blackstone's Reports, Common Pleas and Exchequer, English. Black, Jus. Blackerby's Justices Cases. Black. S. Blackburn on Sales. Black. T. T. Blackwell on Tax Titles. Black. W. Wm. Blackstone's Reports, King's Bench and Common Pleas, Exchequer. Blackf. Blackford's Reports, Indiana. Blackst. Com. Blackstone's Commentaries. Blackst. R. Wm. Blackstone's Reports, Eng- lish. Blake. Blake's Reports, Montana Territory. Blak. Ch. Pr. Blake's Chancery Practice, New York. Blan. Annu. Blaney on Life Annuities. Blan. Lim. Blanshard on Limitations. Blanc. & W. L. C. Blanchard & Week's Leading Cases on Mines, etc. Bland. Bland's Chancery Reports, Maryland. Blatch. Blatchford's Reports, U. S. Circuit Court, 2d Circuit. Blatchf. Pr. Ca. Blatchford's Prize Cases, U. S. Dist. of N. Y. Blatchf. & H. Blatchford & Howland's Admiralty Reporta, U. S. Dist. Court, Southern Dist. of N. Y. Bleck, Bleckley's Reports, Georgia Reports, vols. 34-35. Lords. Bli. or Bligh. Bligh's Reports, English House of Bli. N. S. or Bligh N. S. Bligh's Reports, New Series, English House of Lords. Bliss L. Ins. Bliss on Life Insurance. Bloomf. Manu. Cas, or Bloomf. N. Cas. Bloom fleli's Negro Cases, New Jersey. Blount. Blount's Law Dictionary. Blount Tr. Blount's Impeachment Trial. Bo. R. Act, Booth on Real Actions. Boh. Dec. Bohun's Declarations. Boh. Eag. L. Bohun's English Lawyer. Boh. Priv. Lon. Bohun's Privilegia Londini. Boil. Code N. Boileux's Code Napoléon. Bomb. H. Ct. Rep. Bombay High Court Reports. Bomb. Sel. Cas. Bombay Select Cases. Bomb. Ser. Bombay Series Indian Law Reports. Bond. Bond's Report's, U. S. Courts, Southern Dist, of Ohio. Bone Prec.. Bone's Precedents on Conveyancing. Bonney Ins. Bonney on Insurance. Books S. Books of Sederunt. Boor. Booraem's Reports, California. Boote Ch. Pr. Boote's Chancery Practice. Boote S. Boote's Suit at Law. Booth Act. or Booth R. 4. Booth on Real Ac tions. Boothley Ind. Of. Boothley on fences. Indictable Of Borr. Borradaile's Reports, Bombay. Borth. Borthwick on Libel and Slander. Bos. & P. or Bos. & Pul. Bosanquet & Puller's Reports, English Common Pleas. Bos. & P. N. R. or Bos. de Pul. N. R. Bosanquet & Puller's New Reports. English Common Pleas. Bost. Law Rep. Boston Law Reporter. Bost. Pol. Rep. Boston Police Court Reports. Bosw. Boswell's Reports, Scotch Court of Ses- sion.. Bosw. (N. Y.). Bosworth's New York City Supe- rior Court Reports, vols. 14-23. Bott P. L. Bott's Poor Laws. Bott Sett. Cas. Bott's Settlement Cases, English. Bouch. Ins. Dr. Mar. Boucher, Institutes au Droit Maritime. Boulay Paty Dr. Com. Cours de Droit Commercial Maritime, par P. S. Boulay Paty. Bouin. Boulnois's Reports, Bengal. Boulnois. Boulnois's Reports, Bengal. Bourke. Bourke's Reports, India. Bourke P. P. Bourke's Parliamentary Prece dents. Bousq. Dict. de Dr. Bousquet, Dictionnaire de Droit. Bout. Man. Boutwell's Manuel of the Tax Sys- tem of the U. S. Bouv. or Bouv. L. D. Bouvier's Law Dictionary. Bouv. Inst. Bouvier's Institutes of American Law. Bouv. Inst. Th. Institutiones Theologice, auc

ABBREVIATIONn.

Websters Unabridged Dictionary (1913) • 1913

The act of shortening, or reducing. The result of abbreviating; an abridgment. Tylor. The form to which a word or phrase is reduced by contraction and omission; a letter or letters, standing for a word or phrase of which they are a part; as, Gen. for Genesis; U.S.A. for United States of America. One dash, or more, through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, or demi-semiquavers. Moore.

abbreviationnoun

Wiktionary (English) • 2026

Wiktionary contributors • CC BY-SA 4.0 • via Kaikki
Extracted and formatted for display by Law Mind. Source link opens the current Wiktionary page and its contributor history; it is not a frozen copy of this extract.

The result of shortening or reducing; abridgment. | A shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase used to represent the whole, using omission of letters, and sometimes substitution of letters, or duplication of initial letters to signify plurality, including signs such as +, =, @. | The process of abbreviating. | A notation used in music score to denote a direction, as pp or mf. | One or more dashes through the stem of a note, dividing it respectively into quavers, semiquavers, demisemiquavers, or hemidemisemiquavers. | Any convenient short form used as a substitution for an understood or inferred whole. | Loss during evolution of the final stages of the ancestral ontogenetic pattern. | Reduction to lower terms, as a fraction.

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