AMA
Abbreviation with 7 meanings
| Stands for | American Medical Association |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 7 |
| Categories | Organizations & Companies, Medical, Texting & Internet Slang, Writing & Everyday, Arts & Entertainment |
AMA has seven meanings. The most common are American Medical Association (professional association and labor union) and Against medical advice (emergency medicine); it can also stand for Ask me anything, Advanced maternal age, AMA Manual of Style, American Music Award and American Marketing Association.
Meanings of AMA at a glance
| # | AMA stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Medical Association | Organizations & Companies › Professional Association and Labor Union |
| 2 | Against medical advice | Medical › Emergency Medicine |
| 3 | Ask me anything | Texting & Internet Slang › Social Media |
| 4 | Advanced maternal age | Medical › Obstetrics & Gynecology |
| 5 | AMA Manual of Style | Writing & Everyday › Citation and Bibliography |
| 6 | American Music Award | Arts & Entertainment › Music |
| 7 | American Marketing Association | Organizations & Companies › Professional Association and Labor Union |
1. American Medical Association
Organizations & Companies · Professional Association and Labor Union Abbreviations
Largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States, which publishes JAMA, maintains the AMA Code of Medical Ethics and the CPT coding system used to bill medical procedures, and lobbies on health policy.
Example: The AMA House of Delegates voted to adopt a new policy on physician-led care.
Founded in Philadelphia in 1847, it began publishing the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1883. Its Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, introduced in 1966, are required for billing by Medicare and most insurers, a major source of AMA revenue. In online slang, AMA means "ask me anything".
2. Against medical advice
Medical · Emergency Medicine Abbreviations
Situation in which a patient leaves a hospital or emergency department, or refuses recommended care, contrary to the advice of the treating team. Staff assess decision-making capacity and document informed refusal.
Example: Pt leaving AMA; capacity intact, risks of untreated MI explained, signed form.
Patients with capacity have the right to leave, and they should still receive prescriptions, follow-up plans and an invitation to return. A 2012 study found no cases of insurers refusing payment because a patient left AMA, contradicting a widespread belief. Outside this context AMA usually means the American Medical Association.
3. Ask me anything
Texting & Internet Slang · Social Media Abbreviations
Interactive Q&A session in which a person invites the public to ask questions, typically on Reddit's r/IAmA. Celebrities, scientists, politicians and people with unusual jobs host AMAs.
Example: I'm a deep-sea welder with 15 years on oil rigs, AMA!
President Barack Obama's Reddit AMA in August 2012 drew so much traffic that it slowed the site. The format later spread to X, Instagram story question boxes and live streams. Originally styled "IAmA" (I am a...), from the subreddit name. The term is now used informally for any open Q&A.
4. Advanced maternal age
Medical · Obstetrics & Gynecology Abbreviations
Pregnancy in which the mother will be 35 or older at delivery, associated with higher risks of chromosomal abnormalities, miscarriage, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and stillbirth. It prompts discussion of genetic screening and sometimes added fetal surveillance.
Example: 38-year-old G1 with AMA; NIPT low risk, weekly NSTs planned from 39 weeks.
The older term "geriatric pregnancy" has fallen out of favor. Risks rise gradually with age rather than jumping at 35. Most people over 35 have healthy pregnancies. In other medical contexts AMA means against medical advice or the American Medical Association, so prenatal notes often write "advanced maternal age".
5. AMA Manual of Style
Writing & Everyday · Citation and Bibliography Abbreviations
Names the style guide of the American Medical Association, used by JAMA, the JAMA Network journals and many medical and health-science publications. It sets rules for citations, statistics, units and medical terminology.
Example: The journal requires references in AMA style, numbered in order of first citation with superscript numerals.
The current edition is the 11th, published in 2020. AMA citations use numbered references listed in the order they first appear, similar to the Vancouver system followed by many biomedical journals. The same initials refer to the American Medical Association itself and to online "ask me anything" sessions.
6. American Music Award
Arts & Entertainment · Music Abbreviations
Award presented at the American Music Awards, an annual US show voted by fans, created by Dick Clark in 1974 as an alternative to the Grammys.
Example: The pop star extended her record for career AMA wins at Sunday's ceremony.
Unlike the Grammys, which are voted by members of the Recording Academy, AMAs are decided by fan voting. Michael Jackson held the record for most wins until Swift passed him in 2019. In medicine AMA means the American Medical Association or "against medical advice".
7. American Marketing Association
Organizations & Companies · Professional Association and Labor Union Abbreviations
Professional association for marketing practitioners, educators and students, which publishes the Journal of Marketing and other academic journals and offers professional certifications.
Example: Our team uses the AMA definition of marketing in the training materials.
Founded in 1937 and based in Chicago, it has chapters across North America. Its official definition of marketing is widely quoted in textbooks. In medicine, AMA much more often means the American Medical Association.
Related abbreviations
More professional association and labor union abbreviations
- AIChE – American Institute of Chemical Engineers
- AICPA – American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- ALA – American Library Association
- ALPA – Air Line Pilots Association, International
- AMS – American Mathematical Society
- ANA – American Nurses Association
- ANSI – American National Standards Institute
- AOA – American Optometric Association
See all 95 professional association and labor union abbreviations →
More emergency medicine abbreviations
- ACEP – American College of Emergency Physicians
- ACLS – Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support
- AD – Advance directive
- ALS – Advanced life support
- AMLS – Advanced Medical Life Support
- AND – Allow natural death
- ATLS – Advanced Trauma Life Support
- BIBA – Brought in by ambulance
See all 97 emergency medicine abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.