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Home : Ultimate Style : Abbreviations : A.D.
 
 

Abbreviations

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A.D.
The abbreviation A.D. stands for the Latin anno Domini (“in the year of our lord”). It is used for years after 1 on our calendar. In practice, it is only used for years before about A.D. 1000 and to clarify potential ambiguities. It comes before the designated year.
We at SparkNotes prefer to use small capital letters and periods, but you may choose to use uppercase letters for simplicity and/or omit the periods.
• St. Augustine, the author of the Confessions, was born in A.D. 354.
Because not all people believe that the phrase our lord is appropriate, some writers prefer to use the abbreviation C.E., which stands for common era and comes after the designated year.
• St. Augustine was born in 354 C.E.

 

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