In general, an abbreviation is capitalized or hyphenated if the unabbreviated word or words are so treated:
- Lt.-Gov. (Lieutenant-Governor)
- MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly)
- UBC (University of British Columbia)
However, an abbreviation is also capitalized when it is made up of letters that are all (or mostly all) part of a single word, even though the full term is not capitalized:
- ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone)
- DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
- ESP (extrasensory perception)
- TV (television)
Note: When abbreviations made up of a series of capital letters are written out in full, the words are not capitalized unless they are proper nouns:
- RCMP = Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- DNA = deoxyribonucleic acid
- OCD = obsessive-compulsive disorder
For rules governing the capitalization of acronyms and initialisms, see abbreviations: acronyms and initialisms.
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