ADF
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Australian Defence Force |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Government & Politics, Organizations & Companies, Technology & Computing, Transportation & Travel, Medical |
ADF has five meanings. The most common are Australian Defence Force (world government) and Alliance Defending Freedom (nonprofit); it can also stand for Automatic document feeder, Automatic direction finder and Abuse-deterrent formulation.
Meanings of ADF at a glance
| # | ADF stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australian Defence Force | Government & Politics › World Government |
| 2 | Alliance Defending Freedom | Organizations & Companies › Nonprofit |
| 3 | Automatic document feeder | Technology & Computing › Computer Hardware |
| 4 | Automatic direction finder | Transportation & Travel › Aviation |
| 5 | Abuse-deterrent formulation | Medical › Pharmacy |
1. Australian Defence Force
Government & Politics · World Government Abbreviations · also used in the military
Combined military forces of Australia, made up of the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force, under the Chief of the Defence Force.
Example: ADF personnel were deployed to help with flood evacuations in northern New South Wales.
The three services were brought under a unified command in 1976. The ADF has fought alongside the United States in conflicts from Vietnam to Afghanistan and participates in the AUKUS security partnership with the US and UK. In US advocacy, ADF means Alliance Defending Freedom.
2. Alliance Defending Freedom
Organizations & Companies · Nonprofit Abbreviations
Christian conservative legal organization that litigates cases on religious liberty, free speech, marriage, abortion and parental rights.
Example: ADF attorneys represented the web designer before the Supreme Court.
Founded in 1994 as the Alliance Defense Fund, it took its current name in 2012. Its lawyers argued and won Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018) and 303 Creative v. Elenis (2023). The SPLC has labeled it a hate group, a designation ADF strongly disputes. In Australia, ADF means the Australian Defence Force.
3. Automatic document feeder
Technology & Computing · Computer Hardware Abbreviations
Tray on a scanner, copier or multifunction printer that pulls a stack of pages through one at a time, so multi-page documents can be scanned or copied without lifting the lid for each sheet. Typical capacities are 35 to 100 sheets.
Example: Remove the staples before putting the 30-page contract in the ADF.
A duplexing ADF (DADF) scans both sides, either by flipping each sheet or, on faster models, with two sensors in a single pass. Paper jams in ADFs are often caused by staples, wrinkled sheets or worn rollers, which can be cleaned or replaced. Flatbed glass is still needed for books and fragile originals.
4. Automatic direction finder
Transportation & Travel · Aviation Abbreviations
Cockpit radio receiver and bearing needle that points toward a tuned NDB or even a commercial AM broadcast station. Pilots use the relative bearing shown by the ADF needle to home to a beacon, track away from it or fly holding patterns.
Example: Tune the ADF to 344 kHz and track the needle to the outer marker before turning inbound.
ADF tracking requires mental arithmetic and wind correction, which made NDB approaches some of the hardest tasks on instrument checkrides. Because the needle points at any strong AM station, pilots have long used broadcast stations as informal navigation aids. GPS has largely replaced ADF, and FAA guidance allows suitable GPS equipment to substitute for it in many situations.
5. Abuse-deterrent formulation
Medical · Pharmacy Abbreviations
Opioid formulation designed to make crushing, snorting or injecting more difficult, for example with hard polymers, gelling agents or added antagonists. Reformulated OxyContin, introduced in 2010, is the best-known example.
Example: The plan only covers the ADF version of extended-release oxycodone.
The FDA issued guidance on evaluating ADF opioids in 2015. Abuse-deterrent does not mean abuse-proof: oral overuse is still possible. Opana ER was reformulated as an ADF but was removed from the market at the FDA's request in 2017 after an injection-related HIV and hepatitis C outbreak in Scott County, Indiana.
Related abbreviations
More world government abbreviations
- AAP – Aam Aadmi Party
- ABS – Australian Bureau of Statistics
- ACCC – Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
- AEC – Australian Electoral Commission
- AfD – Alternative for Germany
- AFP – Australian Federal Police
- ALP – Australian Labor Party
- ANC – African National Congress
See all 103 world government abbreviations →
More nonprofit abbreviations
- AAUW – American Association of University Women
- ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union
- ACS – American Cancer Society
- ADA – American Diabetes Association
- ADL – Anti-Defamation League
- AEI – American Enterprise Institute
- AFSP – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
- AHA – American Heart Association
See all 91 nonprofit abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.