What is the Abbreviation for Captain?

How do you abbreviate captain? There is one common way to abbreviate captain.

It is,

  • Capt.

For example,

  • nameplate reads “Capt.”

The plural abbreviation of captain is capts.

When to Use This Abbreviation

This abbreviation is usually found in reference to the lead person on a ship, in team sports, or in regimented military educational institutions. You might abbreviate the word captain to Capt. on a business card or a nameplate. It is also common to see such abbreviations in headlines or newspaper titles where space is a concern.

Outside of professional titles or headlines, the word is not abbreviated in general prose.

What Does Captain Mean?

definition of captDefinition of Captain: Captain is defined as the person in command of a ship; to be the captain of (a ship, aircraft, or sports team).

For example,

  • The ship’s captain ordered all hands on deck.
  • Eli captained “Red Team” to victory over the other four teams.

The word captain functions as a noun in the first sentence, as a verb in the second.

Outside Examples of Captain

  • abbreviation of captain abbreviationU.S. captain Steve Stricker said Wednesday he has chosen Woods, Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III and three-time Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples to be his assistants for the matches next year at Liberty National. –New York Times
  •  The first day of a murder trial against a former fire captain in Arizona accused of killing three women has concluded with testimony for a one-time alibi for the defendant. –New York Times

Summary: Captain Abbreviation

There are is one abbreviation of captain: capt. If you want to make the word plural, simply add on an “s.”

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