Meaning & use
AV
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Meanings
abbreviation
A short form of 'audiovisual', meaning equipment or materials that involve both sound and pictures.
Grammar: Used mainly before nouns, as in 'AV equipment' or 'AV presentation'.
Patterns
- AV equipment
- AV presentation
- AV system
The school bought new AV equipment for the classrooms.
She works in the AV department, setting up microphones and projectors.
We need to test the AV system before the meeting starts.
abbreviationinformal
In some word games like Scrabble, a valid two-letter word worth a certain number of points.
Grammar: Used as a countable noun in word game contexts; often pluralized as 'AVs'.
Patterns
- play AV
- AV is valid
- AV scores
In Scrabble, 'AV' is allowed in some dictionaries but not others.
He played 'AV' for a quick score, but his opponent challenged it.
Check the official word list to see if 'AV' is acceptable.
Word forms
| plural | AVs |
|---|
Common combinations
- AV equipment
- The conference room has all the latest AV equipment.
- AV presentation
- She gave an AV presentation with slides and sound effects.
- AV system
- The AV system in the auditorium needs updating.
- AV department
- Contact the AV department if you need a projector.
- AV club
- He joined the AV club to learn about video production.
Synonyms and how they differ
- audiovisual
- The full form; use it in formal writing, while 'AV' is common in speech and informal contexts.
Word family
- audiovisual adjective
- Relating to both hearing and sight.
Commonly confused: AV or A/V?
AV vs A/V
Sometimes written with a slash; both mean the same thing, but 'AV' is more common in word games.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'AV' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'AV' is an abbreviation for audiovisual, so it refers to equipment or systems, as in 'fix the AV'. It cannot be used as a verb or adjective in the other options.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “AV”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.