List of acronyms: Q
This list contains acronyms, initialisms, and pseudo-blends that begin with the letter Q.
For the purposes of this list:
- acronym = an abbreviation pronounced as if it were a word, e.g., SARS = severe acute respiratory syndrome, pronounced to rhyme with cars
- initialism = an abbreviation pronounced wholly or partly using the names of its constituent letters, e.g., CD = compact disc, pronounced cee dee
- pseudo-blend = an abbreviation whose extra or omitted letters mean that it cannot stand as a true acronym, initialism, or portmanteau (a word formed by combining two or more words).
- (a) = acronym, e.g.: SARS – (a) Severe acute respiratory syndrome
- (i) = initialism, e.g.: CD – (i) Compact disc
- (p) = pseudo-blend, e.g.: UNIFEM – (p) United Nations Development Fund for Women
- (s) = symbol (none of the above, representing and pronounced as something else; for example: MHz – Megahertz)
Q0–9
- Q1 – (p) First Quarter
- Q2 – (p) Second Quarter
- Q3 – (p) Third Quarter
- Q4 – (p) Fourth Quarter
QA
- QA – (s) Qatar (FIPS 10-4 country code; ISO 3166 digram)
- Qantas – (a) Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services
- QAP – (a) Quadripartite Advisory Publication ("kwapp")
- QAR – (s) Qatari rial (ISO 4217 currency code)
- QAT – (s) Qatar (ISO 3166 trigram)
QB
- QB – (p) Quarterback (football)
QC
- QC – (i) Quality Control – (s) Québec (postal symbol) – (i) Queen's Counsel
- QCA – (i) Qualifications and Curriculum Authority – Quality Council of Alberta
- QCD – (p) Quantum ChromoDynamics
QD
- QD – (i) quaque die (Latin, "daily")
- QDOS – (p) Quick and Dirty Operating System ("cue-doss")
- QDR – (i) Quadrennial Defense Review
- QDRO – (a) Qualified domestic relations order ("quad-ro")
QE
- QED – (p) quantum electrodynamics – (i) quid es demonstrata or quod erat demonstrandum (Latin, "that proves it" or "which was to be demonstrated")
- QEH – (i) Queen Elizabeth's Hospital
QF
- QFE – (i) Quoted For Emphasis – (s) Local ground level atmospheric pressure (aeronautical Q code)
QI
- QID – (i) quater in die (Latin, "four times daily")
- QIP – (a) Quadrilateral Interoperability Programme (ancestor of MIP; "quip")
QK
- QK – (s) Air Canada Jazz (IATA airline designator)
QL
- QLD – (p) Queensland, (Australia) (postal symbol)
QM
- QM – (i) Quality Management – Quantum Mechanics – Queen Mother
QN
QP
- QPR – (i) Queens Park Rangers F.C. (English football team) – (i) Quality-Price Ratio (wine evaluation term)
- QPS – (i) Quark Publishing System
QR
- QR – (i) Quake Rally – Qualitative Reasoning – Queensland Rail – Queen's Rangers – Quick Release – Quiet Riot – (s) Qatar Airways (IATA airline designator)
QS
- QS – (i) quantum sufficit (Latin, "as much as suffices")
- QSCAT – (p) Quick Scatterometer satellite
- QSL – (i) Québec Sign Language
- QSO – (i) Quasi-Stellar Object
- QSTAG – (p) Quadripartite Standardization Agreement ("cue-stag")
QT
- QT – (i) Quentin Tarantino – QuickTime – QuikTrip – QT (cute) Software
QU
- qu – (s) Quechua language (ISO 639-1 code)
- Quango – (p) (British Commonwealth) QUasi Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation
- Quasar – (p) Quasi-stellar radio source
- QUB - Queen's University Belfast
- que – (s) Quechua language (ISO 639-2 code)
- QUIET – (p) Q and U Imaging ExperimenT (Q and U are the Stokes parameters of the CMBR polarization)
QV
- qv – (i) quod vide (Latin "which see")
- QVC – (i) "Quality, Value, Convenience" (home shopping channel)
QW
- QWG – (i) Quadripartite Working Group ("qwig")
- QWGAOR – (i) Quadripartite Working Group on Army Operational Research ("qwig-a-o-r")
QZ
- QZ – (s) Awair (IATA airline designator)