Meaning & use
NC
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Meanings
abbreviation
North Carolina, a state on the eastern coast of the United States.
Grammar: Used in addresses after the city name: 'Charlotte, NC.' It is always written in capital letters and read as two letters.
Patterns
- city, NC
- NC 12345
Send the package to 500 Main Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.
She was born in NC but moved to California for work.
The company has offices in NC and Virginia.
abbreviationinformal
No charge; used to show that something is free.
Grammar: Often written on bills or receipts: 'NC' means you do not have to pay for that item.
Patterns
- NC on a bill
- marked NC
The hotel marked the breakfast as NC, so we didn't pay extra.
On the receipt, the delivery fee was listed as NC.
Common combinations
- Charlotte, NC
- He lives in Charlotte, NC, near the airport.
- NC 27601
- The zip code NC 27601 covers part of Raleigh.
- NC state
- NC State University is in Raleigh.
- NC mountains
- The NC mountains are beautiful in autumn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- North Carolina
- This is the full name; NC is the abbreviation used in addresses and informal writing.
Commonly confused: NC or SC?
NC vs SC
SC stands for South Carolina, a different state; NC is North Carolina.
Practice
What does 'NC' usually mean in a U.S. mailing address?
Choose one answer.
In addresses, NC is the postal abbreviation for North Carolina. New York is NY, North Dakota is ND, and New Jersey is NJ.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “NC”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.