AP Style "BC"

baby boomers

Avoid pronouncements that any generation is materialistic or apathetic or altruistic. -

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science

bachelor’s or bachelor’s degree is acceptable in any reference

Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.

baloney

Foolish or exaggerated talk. The sausage or luncheon meat is bologna.

Band-Aid

A trademark for a type of adhesive bandage.

battlefield

Also: battlefront, battleground, battleship. But battle station.

battleground states

States where candidates from both major political parties have a reasonable chance for victory in a statewide race or presidential vote.

bay

Capitalize as an integral part of a proper name: Hudson Bay, San Francisco Bay.

Capitalize also San Francisco Bay Area or the Bay Area as the popular name for the nine-county region that has San Francisco as its focal point.

B.C.

Either B.C. or B.C.E. is acceptable in all references to a calendar year in the period before Christ. Some prefer B.C.E., which stands for Before the Common Era.

bear market

A period of generally declining stock prices over a prolonged period, generally defined as a 20% or larger decline in broad stock indexes such as the S&P 500.

because, since

Use because to denote a specific cause-effect relationship: He went because he was told.

Since is acceptable in a causal sense when the first event in a sequence led logically to the second but was not its direct cause: They went to the game, since they had been given the tickets.

bed-and-breakfast

B&B is acceptable on second reference

beside, besides

Beside means at the side of. Besides means in addition to.

bestseller, bestselling

No hyphen

betting odds

Use figures and a hyphen: The odds were 5-4, he won despite 3-2 odds against him.

biannual, biennual

Biannual means twice a year and is a synonym for the word semiannual. Biennial means every two years.

Bible

Capitalize, without quotation marks, when referring to the Scriptures in the Old Testament or the New Testament. Capitalize also related terms such as the Gospels, Gospel of St. Mark, the Scriptures, the Holy Scriptures.

Lowercase biblical in all uses.

Lowercase bible as a nonreligious term: My dictionary is my bible. Do not abbreviate individual books of the Bible. Capitalize book in such uses as Book of Genesis.

big brother

One's older brother is a big brother. Big Brother (capitalized) means under the watchful eye of big government, from George Orwell's "1984."

Capitalize also in reference to members of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

billion

A thousand million.

bipolar disorder

Describe a person as having bipolar disorder only if relevant to the story, and if a medical diagnosis has been made or the person uses the term. If relatives or others use the term, ask how they know, then consider carefully whether to include the information.

bird flu

Preferred term for avian influenza, viruses that mostly infect poultry and other birds.

birthday

Capitalize as part of the name for a holiday: Washington's Birthday. Lowercase in other uses.

bitcoin

References to individual cryptocurrencies should use the singular form — bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin. Example: Thieves reportedly stole litecoin worth $15 million. Use plural forms for specific quantities of cryptocurrency — 6 bitcoins, 58.7 ethers

bloc, block

A bloc is a coalition of people, groups or nations with the same purpose or goal.

Block has more than a dozen definitions, but a political alliance is not one of them.

blood alcohol content

The concentration of alcohol in blood. It is usually measured as weight per volume

blue chip stock

Stock in a company known for its long-established record of making money and paying dividends.

board

Capitalize only when an integral part of a proper name.

board of directors, board of trustees

Always lowercase.

boats, ships

A boat is a watercraft of any size but generally is used to indicate a small craft. A ship is a large, seagoing vessel.

The word boat is used, however, in some words that apply to large craft:

boulevard

Abbreviated only with a numbered address: 43 Park Blvd.

boy, girl

Generally acceptable to describe males or females younger than 18. While it is always inaccurate to call people under 18 men or women and people 18 and older boys or girl

brand names

When they are used, capitalize them.

Brand names normally should be used only if they are essential to a story.

break-in

(n. and adj.) break in (v.)

Brexit

Shorthand for “British exit” — the United Kingdom’s Jan. 31, 2020, departure from the European Union following a June 23, 2016, referendum.

Britain

Acceptable in all references for Great Britain, which consists of England, Scotland and Wales.

broadcast

The past tense also is broadcast, not broadcasted.

Brothers

Generally abbreviate as Bros. in formal company names: Warner Bros., but follow the spelling preferred by the company.

Bubble Wrap

A registered trademark. Unless the trademark name is important to the story, use cushioning or packaging material.

building

Never abbreviate. Capitalize the proper names of buildings, including the word building if it is an integral part of the proper name: the Empire State Building.

bureau

Capitalize when part of the formal name for an organization or agency: the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lowercase when used alone or to designate a corporate subdivision: the Washington bureau of The Associated Press.

bus, buses

Transportation vehicles. The verb forms: bus, bused, busing.

In a restaurant, to clear dishes from a table: The busser buses tables.

buss, busses

Kisses. The verb forms: buss, bussed, bussing.

cabinet

Capitalize references to a specific body of advisers heading executive departments for a president, king, governor, etc.: The president-elect said he has not made his Cabinet selections.

Canada goose

Canada goose

cancel

cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation

cannon

A cannon is a weapon; plural is cannons. See weapons.

A canon is a law or rule, particularly of a church, or a musical composition.

canvas, canvass

Canvas is heavy cloth. Canvass is a noun and a verb denoting a survey.

cape

Capitalize as part of a proper name: Cape Cod, Cape Hatteras. Lowercase when standing alone.

Although local practice may call for capitalizing the Cape when the rest of the name is clearly understood, always use the full name on first reference.

capital

The city where a seat of government is located. Do not capitalize.

When used in a financial sense, capital describes money, equipment or property used in a business by a person or corporation.

capitalization

In general, avoid unnecessary capitals.

Capitol

Capitalize U.S. Capitol and the Capitol when referring to the building in Washington

caregiver, caregiving

A caregiver is a person who takes care of someone requiring close attention. caregiver not caretaker.

casualties

Avoid using the word, which is vague and can refer to either injuries or deaths. Instead, be specific about what is meant. If authorities use the term, press for specifics. If specifics aren’t available, say so: Officer Riya Kumar said the shooting resulted in casualties, but she said she did not know whether any were deaths.

ceasefire, ceasefires

(n. and adj.) The verb form is cease fire

cement

Cement is the powder mixed with water and sand or gravel to make concrete. The proper term is concrete (not cement)

censer, censor, censure

A censer is a container in which incense is burned.

To censor is to prohibit or restrict the use of something.

To censure is to condemn.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Located in Atlanta, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On first reference, use Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Precede with national, federal or U.S. if needed for clarity. Takes a singular verb. On second reference, the CDC is acceptable.

Central Intelligence Agency

CIA is acceptable in all references.

The formal title for the individual who heads the agency is director of central intelligence. On first reference: Director William Burns of the CIA or CIA Director William Burns.

cents

Spell out the word cents and lowercase, using numerals for amounts less than a dollar: 5 cents, 12 cents. Use the $ sign and decimal system for larger amounts: $1.01, $2.50.

Numerals alone, with or without a decimal point as appropriate, may be used in tabular matter

century

Lowercase (unless part of a proper name). Spell out numbers under 10: the first century, the 21st century.

CEO, CFO, COO

chief executive, financial, and operating. abbreviation on second reference

chairman, chairwoman

In general, use terms such as chair or chairperson, councilperson unless the -man or -woman terms are specified by an organization.

Capitalize as a formal title before a name: company Chair Henry Khan, committee Chairwoman Margaret Chase Smith.

chapters

Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code. Always use Arabic figures: Chapter 1, Chapter 20.

Lowercase when standing alone.

chief

Capitalize as a formal title before a name: She spoke to police Chief Michael Codd. He spoke to Chief Michael Codd of the New York police.

Lowercase when it is not a formal title: union chief Walter Reuther.

chief justice

Capitalize only as a formal title before a name: Chief Justice John Roberts. The officeholder is the chief justice of the United States, not of the Supreme Court.

child care

Two words, no hyphen, in all cases

Christmas, Christmas Day

Dec. 25. The federal legal holiday is observed on Friday if Dec. 25 falls on a Saturday, on Monday if it falls on a Sunday.

Never abbreviate Christmas to Xmas or any other form.

Christmas tree

Lowercase tree and other seasonal terms with Christmas: card, wreath, carol, etc. Exception: National Christmas Tree.

Christmastime

one word.

chronic traumatic encephalopathy

CTE is acceptable on second reference, and in headlines if essential

church

Capitalize as part of the formal name of a building, a congregation or a denomination; lowercase in other uses: St. Mary’s Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic and Episcopal churches, a Roman Catholic church, a church.

cities

Capitalize city if part of a proper name, an integral part of an official name, or a regularly used nickname: Kansas City

cities and towns

Capitalize official names, including separate political entities such as East St. Louis, Illinois, or West Palm Beach, Florida. capitalize for known name areas South Side and Lower East Side, lowercase for unknown, west Milwaukee

city council

Capitalize when part of a proper name: the Boston City Council.

Retain capitalization if the reference is to a specific council but the context does not require the city name:

BOSTON (AP) – The City Council ...

Lowercase in other uses: the council, the Boston and New York city councils, a city council.

city hall

Capitalize with the name of a city, or without the name of a city if the reference is specific: Boston City Hall, City Hall.

Lowercase plural uses: the Boston and New York city halls.

Lowercase generic uses, including: You can't fight city hall.

civil cases, criminal cases

A civil case is one in which an individual, business or agency of government seeks damages or relief from another individual, business or agency of government. Civil actions generally involve a charge that a contract has been breached or that someone has been wronged or injured.

A criminal case is one that the state or the federal government brings against an individual charged with committing a crime.

Civil Rights Movement

Capitalize when referring to the specific push, mainly in the 1950s and ’60s, for equal rights and justice for Black people under the law in the United States. Lowercase when writing generally about civil rights movements or a civil rights movement that is not this specific one.

cliches, jargon

William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White put it simply in “The Elements of Style”: “Be clear.” Jargon is the opposite of clarity. Don’t just repeat the words. Translate them, and push for the true meaning when necessary.

cloture

Not closure, for the parliamentary procedure for closing debate.

Whenever practical, use a phrase such as closing debate or ending debate instead of the technical term.

coast

Lowercase when referring to the physical shoreline: Atlantic coast, Pacific coast, east coast.

Capitalize when referring to regions of the United States lying along such shorelines: the Atlantic Coast states, a Gulf Coast city, the West Coast, the East Coast.

Do not capitalize when referring to smaller regions: the Virginia coast.

cocktail

Do not use cocktail in reference to a mixture of drugs. Instead: drug combination or simply drugs or medications: HIV drugs.

collective nouns

Nouns that denote a unit take singular verbs and pronouns: class, committee, crowd, family, group, herd, jury, orchestra, team.

However, team names such as the Jazz, the Magic, the Avalanche and the Thunder take plural verbs.

college

Capitalize when part of a proper name: Dartmouth College.

commissioner

Do not abbreviate. Capitalize when used as a formal title

committee

Do not abbreviate. Capitalize when part of a formal name: the House Appropriations Committee.

Do not capitalize committee in shortened versions of long committee names: The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, for example, became the Senate banking committee.

community

Limit use of this term in reference to groups of people. It implies homogeneity and the idea that all members of a particular “community” think and act alike. This is similar to the concept of avoiding any type of generalization or stereotype. Instead of the gay community, for example, many gay people,

company, companies

Use Co. or Cos. when a business uses either word at the end of its proper name: Ford Motor Co., United Tandem Bicycle Cos.

If company or companies appear alone in second reference, spell the word out.

company names

You must include the full company name in the body of any story in which the subject matter could affect a company's business, although not necessarily on first reference when the informal name can be used. For example, Costco is acceptable for Costco Wholesale Corp.

complement, compliment

Complement is a noun and a verb denoting completeness or the process of supplementing something: The ship has a complement of 200 sailors and 20 officers. The tie complements his suit.

Compliment is a noun or a verb that denotes praise or the expression of courtesy: The captain complimented the sailors. She was flattered by the compliments on her project.

compose, comprise, constitute

Compose means to create or put together. It commonly is used in both the active and passive voices: She composed a song. The United States is composed of 50 states. The zoo is composed of many animals.

Comprise means to contain, to include all or embrace. It is best used only in the active voice, followed by a direct object: The United States comprises 50 states. The jury comprises five men and seven women. The zoo comprises many animals.

Constitute, in the sense of form or make up, may be the best word if neither compose nor comprise seems to fit: Fifty states constitute the United States. Five men and seven women constitute the jury. A collection of animals can constitute a zoo.

composition titles

Capitalize all words in a title except articles (a, an, the); prepositions of three or fewer letters (for, of, on, up, etc.); and conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, etc.) unless any of those start or end the title.

Congress

Capitalize U.S. Congress and Congress when referring to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Although Congress sometimes is used as a substitute for the House, it properly is reserved for reference to both the Senate and House.

congressional

Lowercase unless part of a proper name: congressional salaries, the Congressional Quarterly, the Congressional Record.

congressional districts

Use figures and capitalize district when joined with a figure: the 1st Congressional District, the 1st District.

Lowercase district whenever it stands alone.

congresswoman, congressman

Rep. and U.S. Rep. are the preferred first-reference forms when a formal title is used before the name of a U.S. House member. Congressman and congresswoman should appear as capitalized formal titles before a name only in direct quotation.

constitution

When referring to constitutions of other nations or of states, capitalize only with the name of a nation or a state: the French Constitution, the Massachusetts Constitution, the nation’s constitution, the state constitution, the constitution.

continent

Capitalize the Continent and Continental only when used as synonyms for Europe or European. Lowercase in other uses such as: the continent of Europe, the European continent, the African and Asian continents.

convention

Capitalize as part of the name for a specific national or state political convention: the Democratic National Convention, the Republican State Convention.

Lowercase in other uses: the national convention, the state convention

corporation

Spell out corporation when it occurs elsewhere in a name: the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Abbreviate to Corp. when at the end of a name

country music

The music genre is country. Lowercase western if the full but antiquated term is needed, as in a quotation: country-western; country and western.

council, counsel

Capitalize councilor, councilman and councilwoman when used as a formal title before a name; otherwise, lowercase. Do not capitalize counsel.