View source for List of Masonic abbreviations

{{WikipediaImport}}{{short description|Abbreviations used by Freemasons}}
[[File:DiplomeMaçonnique1945.png|thumb|A Masonic document in French using several abbreviations.]]

'''Masonic abbreviations''' of technical terms or of official titles are very extensively used in [[Freemasonry]]. They serve to [[abbreviation|abbreviate]] long or commonly-referenced titles in the fraternity.

These abbreviations were rarely employed in the earlier Masonic publications.<ref name="Mackey1914">Mackey, A. G. (1914). ''An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and its Kindred Sciences: comprising the whole range of arts, sciences and literature as connected with the institution.'' New and rev. ed. / New York: Masonic History Co. {{PD-notice}}</ref> There are no abbreviations, for example, found in [[Anderson's Constitutions]]. These came into use particularly by French authors during the 19th century, and made use of the [[therefore sign]] (∴) which remains commonly used today except in English Freemasonry where the symbol is only used in the Ancient and Accepted Rite (commonly known as Rose Croix).

==Typography==
In modern computer typography, the Therefore, sign is encoded in Unicode at U+2234 ∴ and in HTML (HTML &amp;#8756; · &amp;there4;). In many word processing programs ''therefore'' can be created by typing 2234 ALT+x, or ALT 8756. It is also possible to create the inverse, ''because,'' at U+2235 ∵ (HTML &amp;#8757;), 2235 ALT+x, or ALT 8757.<ref>{{Diff|en:Therefore_sign|diff=|oldid=914193820|label=en:Therefore_sign,   oldid 914193820}}{{Circular reference|date=August 2021}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=November 2020|reason=Wikipedia itself is not a valid reference}}

The first use of "∴" to abbreviate a Masonic title was August 12, 1774, by the Grand Orient of France, in an address to its subordinates.<ref name="Mackey1914" /> No authoritative explanation of the meaning of these dots has been given, but According to [[Albert Mackey|Mackey]] it is supposed to refer to the three lights around the altar, or perhaps more generally to the number [[3]], and to the triangle, all important symbols in the Masonic system.<ref name="Mackey1914" />

The doubling of a letter is intended to express the plural of that word of which the single letter is the abbreviation. For example, in French, F∴ signifies "Frère," or " Brother," and FF∴ " Frères," or "Brothers." Similarly in English, L∴ is sometimes used to denote "Lodge", and LL∴ to denote "Lodges". Exceptions exist regularly; for example, ''Sovereign Grand Inspectors General'' is abbreviated as S∴G∴I∴G∴, and not S∴G∴II∴G∴.

==List==
Some examples of Masonic abbreviations include:

===A===
[[File:MasonryAL5916.JPG|thumb|Detail of a cornerstone in a Masonic lodge in Rochester, Minnesota with the date given in both Common Era year and {{lang|la|Anno Lucis}}.]]
* A.Dep. – ''[[Anno Depositionis]]''. "In the Year of the Deposite", The date used by Royal and Select Masters
* A.&A. – Ancient and Accepted
* A.F.M. – Ancient Freemasons
* A.F.&A.M. – Ancient Free and Accepted Masons
* A.Inv. – ''[[Anno Inventionis]]''. "In the Year of the Discovery", the date used by Royal Arch Masons
* A.L. – ''[[Anno Lucis]]'', "In the Year of light" the date used by Ancient Craft Masons
* A∴ L∴ G∴ D∴ G∴ A∴ D∴ L'U∴ – ''À la Gloire du Grand Architecte de L'Univers''. "To the Glory of the [[Grand Architect of the Universe]]" (French) The usual caption of French Masonic documents.
* A∴ L'O∴ – ''À L'Orient'', "At the East" (French) The seat of the Lodge
* A.M. – ''[[Anno Mundi]]'', "In The Year of the World". The date used in the [[Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite]]
* A.O. – ''[[Anno Ordinis]]'', "In the Year of the Order" . The date allegedly used by [[Knights Templar]]s
* A.Y.M. – [[Ancient York Mason]]

===B===
* B∴ – Bruder. German, meaning Brother.
* BB∴ - Brothers (Plural)
* B∴ A∴ – Buisson Ardent. French, meaning [[Burning Bush]].
* B∴ B∴ – Burning Bush.
* Bn∴ – Brudern. German, meaning Brethren.

===C===
* Comp∴ – Companion. Used by [[Brethren of the Royal Arch]].
* C.C. – [[Celestial Canopy]].
* C∴ H∴ – [[Captain of the Host]].

===D===
* D∴ – Deputy.
* D. and A.F.– Due and Ancient Form.
* D∴ G∴ C∴ - District Grand Chapter
* D∴ D∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – District Deputy Grand High Priest.
* D∴ D∴ G∴ M∴ – [[District Deputy Grand Master]]
* D∴ G∴ M∴ – Deputy Grand Master.
* D∴ G∴ B∴ A∴ W∴ – ''Der Grosse Baumeister aller Welten'', "The Grand Architect of All Worlds" (German)
* D∴ G∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – Deputy General Grand High Priest.
* D∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – Deputy Grand High Priest.
* D∴ G∴ M∴ – Deputy Grand Master.
* D∴ M∴ J∴ – ''Deus Meumque Jus'', "[[God and My Right]]" (Latin)
* D∴ Prov∴ G∴ M∴ – Deputy Provincial Grand Master.
* Deg. – Degree or Degrees. Another way is as in 33, meaning Thirty-Third Degree. (Although this is more commonly denoted with a [[degree sign]])
* Dist. – District.

===E===
* E∴ – Eminent; Excellent; also East.
* E∴A∴ – Entered Apprentice. Sometimes abbreviated E∴ A∴ P∴ 
* E∴ C∴ – Excellent Companion.
* Ec∴ – ''Écossais'', "Scottish", or belonging to the [[Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite|Scottish Rite]] (French)
* E∴ G∴ C∴ – Eminent [[Grand Commander]].
* E∴ G∴ M∴ – Early Grand Master. 
* E∴ O∴ L∴ – ''[[Ex Oriente Lux]]'', "Out of the East comes Light" (Latin).

===F===
* F∴ – ''Frère'', "Brother" (French)
* F.&A.M. – Free and Accepted Masons.
* F∴C∴ – Fellowcraft.
* F∴M∴ – Freemason or Freemasonry.

===G===
[[File:Freemason Square and Compass.svg|thumb|The [[Square and Compass]] with a G.]]
* G. – Grand; sometimes read as Great. It also alludes to God, geometry<ref name="Duncan77">{{cite web
|title= Duncan's Masonic Ritual and Monitor
|author= Malcolm C. Duncan
|year= 1866
|url= http://sacred-texts.com/mas/dun/dun03.htm
|page=77
}}</ref> or the Great Architect of the Universe.
* G.A.O.T.U. – Grand Architect of the Universe.
* G∴ A∴ S∴ – Grand Annual Sojourn.
* G.C.– Grand Chapter; Grand Council; Grand Cross; Grand Commander; Grand Chaplain; Grand Conclave; Grand Conductor; Grand Chancellor.
* G∴ C∴ G∴ – Grand Captain General; Grand Captain of the Guard.
* G ∴ C∴ H∴ – Grand Captain of the Host; Grand Chapter of Heredom.
* G∴ Com∴ – Grand Commandery; Grand Commander.
* G∴ D∴ – Grand Deacon.
* G∴ D∴ C∴ – Grand Director of Ceremonies.
* G∴ E∴ – Grand Encampment; Grand Bast; Grand [[Ezra]].
* G∴ J∴ W∴ – Grand Junior Warden.
* G∴ G∴ C∴ – General Grand Chapter
* G∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – General Grand High Priest.
* G∴ G∴ K∴ – General Grand King.
* G∴ G∴ M∴ F∴ V∴ – General Grand Master of the First Veil.
* G∴ G∴ S∴ – General Grand Scribe.
* G∴ G∴ T∴ – General Grand Treasurer.
* G∴ H∴ P∴ – Grand High Priest.
* G∴ K∴ – Grand King.
* G∴ L∴ – Grand Lodge. ''Grande Loge'' (French). ''Grosse Loge'' (German).
* G∴ M∴ – [[Grand Master (Masonic)|Grand Master]]; Grand Marshal; Grand Monarch.
* G∴ N∴ – Grand [[Nehemiah]].
* G∴ O∴ – [[Grand Orient]]; Grand Organist.
* G∴ P∴ – Grand Pursuivant; Grand Prior; Grand Prelate; Grand Preceptor; Grand Preceptory; Grand Patron; Grand Priory; Grand Patriarch; Grand Principal.
* G∴ P∴ S∴ – Grand Principal Sojourner
* G∴ R∴ – Grand Registrar; Grand Recorder.
* G∴ R∴ A∴ C∴ – Grand Royal Arch Chapter.
* G∴ S∴ – Grand Scribe; Grand Secretary; Grand Steward.
* G∴ S∴ B∴ – Grand Sword Bearer; Grand Sword Bearer.
* G∴ S∴ E∴ – Grand Scribe Ezra.
* G∴ S∴ N∴ – Grand Scribe Nehemiah.
* G∴ S∴ W∴ – Grand Senior Warden.
* G∴ T∴ – Grand Treasurer; Grand Tyler.

===H===
* H∴ A∴ B∴ - [[Hiram Abif]].
* H∴ E∴ – Holy Empire.
* H∴ J∴ – ''Heilige Johannes'', "Holy Saints John"(German - referring jointly to John the Baptist and John the Evangelist)
* H∴ K∴ T∴ – Hiram, King of Tyre.
* H∴ R∴ D∴ M∴ – [[Heredom]].

===I===
* Ill∴ – Illustrious.
* [[INRI|I∴ N∴ R∴ I∴]] – {{lang|la|Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudoeorum}}. Latin, meaning "[[Jesus of Nazareth]], King of the Jews". The Letters are also the initials of a significant sentence in Latin, namely, {{lang|la|Igne Natura Renovatur Integra}}, meaning "By fire nature is perfectly renewed".
* I∴ P∴ M∴ – Immediate Past Master. English title of an official last promoted from the chair.
* I∴ T∴ N∴ O∴ T∴ G∴ A∴ O∴ T∴ U∴ – In the Name of the Grand Architect of the Universe. Often forming the caption of Masonic documents.

===J===
* J∴ W∴ – Junior Warden.

===K===
* K∴ – King.
* K∴ E∴ P∴ – Knight of the [[Eagle and Pelican]]
* K∴ H∴ – Kadash, [[Knight of Kadosh]].
* K∴ H∴ S∴ – [[Knight of the Holy Sepulchre|Knight of the Holy Sepulcher]]
* K∴ M∴ – [[Knight of Malta]]
* K∴ S∴ – [[King Solomon|King Salomon]] (Suleiman)
* K∴ T∴ – [[Knights Templar]]; Knight Templar.

===L===
* L∴ – Lodge. Also ''Lehrling'' meaning "Apprentice" (German).
* L∴ R∴ – [[Lonon]] Rank. A distinction introduced in England in 1908.
* L∴ V∴ X∴ – Lux. Latin, meaning Light.

===M===
* M∴ – Mason; Masonry; Marshal; Mark; Minister; Master. Meister, in German. Maître, in French.
* M∴ C∴ – Middle Chamber.
* M∴ E∴ – Most Eminent; Most Excellent.
* M∴ E∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – Most Excellent Grand High Priest.
* M∴ E∴ G∴ M∴ – Most Eminent Grand Master (of Knights Templar).
* M∴ E∴ M∴ – Most Excellent Master.
* M∴ E∴ Z∴ – Most Excellent [[Zerubbabel]].
* M∴ K∴ G∴ – Maurer Kunst Geselle. German, meaning Fellow Craft.
* M∴ L∴ – Maurer Lehrling. German, meaning Entered Apprentice.
* M∴ L∴ – Mère Loge. French, meaning Mother Lodge.
* M∴ M∴ – Master Mason. ''Mois Maçonnique'', "[[Masonic Month]]" (French): [[March 18]] the first Masonic month among French Freemasons. Also ''Meister Maurer'', "Master Mason" (German)
* M∴ P∴ S∴ – Most Puissant Sovereign.
* M∴ W∴ – Most Worshipful.
* M∴ W∴ G∴ M∴ – [[Grand Master (Masonic)|Most Worshipful Grand Master]]; Most Worthy Grand Matron.
* M∴ W∴ G∴ P∴ – Most Worthy Grand Patron.
* M∴ W∴ M∴ – Most Wise Master
* M∴ W∴ S∴ – Most Wise Sovereign

===N===
* N∴ E∴ C∴ – North-east Corner.
* N'o∴ P∴ V∴ D∴ M∴ – ''N'oubliez pas vos décorations Maçonniques'', "Do not forget your Masonic regalia" (French), a phrase used in France on the corner of a summons.

===O===
* O∴ – Orient.
* O∴ A∴ C∴ – ''Ordo ab Chao'', "Order Out of Chaos" (Latin)
* OB∴ – Obligation.

===P===
* P∴ – Past; Prelate; Prefect; Prior.
* P∴ C∴ W∴ – Principal Conductor of the Work.
* P∴ G∴ M∴ – Past [[Grand Master (Masonic)|Grand Master]]; Past Grand Matron.
* P∴ J∴ – [[Prince of Jerusalem]].
* P∴ K∴ – Past King.
* P∴ M∴ – Past [[Masonic lodge officers#Worshipful Master|Master]].
* PPLM - Prepaid (or Paid) Perpetual Life Membership
* P∴ S∴ – Principal Sojourner.
* Pro∴ G∴ M∴ – Pro-Grand Master.
* Prov∴ – Provincial.
* Prov∴ G∴ M∴ – Provincial Grand Master.

===R===
* R∴ A∴ – Royal Arch; Royal Art.
* R∴ A∴ C∴ – Royal Arch Captain; Royal Arch Chapter.
* R∴ A∴ M∴ – Royal Arch Mason; Royal Arch Masonry; Royal Ark Mariner. R∴ C∴  or R∴ t∴  [[Scottish Rite|Rose Croix]]. Appended to the signature of one having that degree
* R∴ E∴ – Right Eminent.
* R∴ E∴ A∴ et A∴ – ''Rite Écossais Ancien et Accepté'', "[[Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite]]" (French).
* R∴ L∴  or R∴ []∴ – ''Respectable Loge'', "Worshipful Lodge" (French)
* R∴ S∴ Y∴ C∴ S∴ – Rosy Cross (in the Royal order of Scotland).
* R∴ W∴ – Right Worshipful.
* R∴ W∴ M∴ – Right Worshipful Master.

===S===
* S∴ – Scribe, Sentinel, Seneschal, Sponsor.
* S∴ C∴ – Supreme Council.
* S∴ G∴ D∴ – Senior Grand Deacon.
* S∴ G∴ I∴ G∴ – Sovereign Grand Inspector General
* S∴ G∴ W∴ – Senior Grand Warden.
* S∴ M∴ – Secret Master; Substitute Master
* S∴ O∴ – Senior Overseer.
* S∴ P∴ R∴ S∴ – Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret.
* S∴ S∴ – ''Sanctum Sanctorum'', "Holy of Holies" (Latin)
* S∴ S∴ M∴ – Senior Substitute Magus.
* S∴ S∴ S∴ – The initials of the Latin word ''Salutem'', meaning Greeting, repeated thrice and also found similarly in the French, ''Trois Fois Salut'', meaning "Thrice Greeting". A common caption to French Masonic circulars or letters
* S∴ W∴ – Senior Warden.
* Sec∴ – Secretary.
* Soc∴ Ros∴ – Societas Rosicruciana
* Sur∴ – Surveillant. French, meaning Warden.

===T===
* T∴ C∴ F∴ – Très Cher Frère. French, meaning Very Dear Brother.
* T∴ G∴ A∴ O∴ T∴ U∴ – The Grand Architect of the Universe.
* T∴ S∴ – Tres Sage. Meaning Very Wise, addressed to the presiding officer of [[French Rite]].

===U===
* U∴ D∴ – Under Dispensation.

===V===
* V∴ or Vén∴ – Vénérable. French, meaning Worshipful.
* V∴ D∴ B∴ – Very Dear Brother.
* V∴ D∴ S∴ A∴ – ''Veut Dieu Saint Amour'', or ''Vult Dei Sanctus'' Animus. A formula used by Knights Templar. The expression ''Veut Dieu Saint Amour'' means "Wishes God Holy Love". ''Vult Dei Sanctus Animus'' is the Latin Version of the same phrase. 
* V∴ E∴ – Viceroy Eusebius; Very Eminent.
* V∴ F∴ – ''Vénérable Frère'', "Worshipful Brother" (French)
* V∴ L∴ – ''Vraie Lumière'', "True Light" (French)
* V∴ S∴ L∴ – Volume of the sacred Law.
* V∴ W∴ – Very Worshipful

===W===
* W∴ – Worshipful
* W∴ M∴ – [[Masonic lodge officers#Worshipful Master|Worshipful Master]] or ''Wurdiger Meister'' (German)

== References ==
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Freemasonry]]
[[Category:Lists of abbreviations|Masonic]]