Short for Meaning in English

expression

US

ˈʃɔɹt/ /ˈfɔɹ/, /fɝ/, /fɹɝ

SHORT-for

UK

ʃˈɔːt/ /fˈɔː

SHAWT-for

Definition

Used to show that a name or word is an abbreviation or a shortened version of another, longer word or phrase.

Usage & Nuances

'Short for' is informal and appears in definitions, explanations, and speech when clarifying abbreviations. It is usually followed by the full term (e.g., 'Mike is short for Michael'). Not used for technical acronyms—see 'stands for' in those cases.

• Spanish: abreviatura de - forma corta de
• Portuguese (BR): abreviação de - forma curta de
• Portuguese (PT): abreviação de - forma curta de
• Chinese (Simplified): ……的缩写
• Chinese (Traditional): ……的縮寫
• Hindi: का संक्षिप्त रूप
• Arabic: اختصار لـ
• Bengali: ছোট করে বলা - সংক্ষিপ্ত রূপ
• Russian: сокращение от
• Japanese: 〜の略
• Vietnamese: viết tắt của
• Korean: ~의 줄임말
• Turkish: '...’ın kısaltması
• Urdu: کا مخفف
• Indonesian: singkatan dari

Example Sentences

'Liz' is short for 'Elizabeth'.

basic

'TV' is short for 'television'.

basic

She said 'Jen' is short for 'Jennifer'.

basic

Is 'Bob' short for something, or is that your full name?

natural

People usually call me 'Sam', which is short for 'Samantha'.

natural

'Doc' is just short for 'doctor'—nothing fancy.

natural