ATC
Abbreviation with 6 meanings
| Stands for | Air traffic control |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 6 |
| Categories | Transportation & Travel, Medical, Business & Finance |
ATC has six meanings. The most common are Air traffic control (aviation) and Around the clock (prescription); it can also stand for Certified athletic trainer, Add to cart, Average total cost and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification.
Meanings of ATC at a glance
| # | ATC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air traffic control | Transportation & Travel › Aviation |
| 2 | Around the clock | Medical › Prescription |
| 3 | Certified athletic trainer | Medical › Healthcare Credential |
| 4 | Add to cart | Business & Finance › E-commerce & Retail |
| 5 | Average total cost | Business & Finance › Economics |
| 6 | Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification | Medical › Pharmacology |
1. Air traffic control
Transportation & Travel · Aviation Abbreviations
Ground-based service that separates aircraft and keeps traffic moving safely on runways, taxiways and through controlled airspace. Controllers in airport towers, approach facilities and en-route centers issue clearances, headings, altitudes and speeds by radio; in the United States the service is provided by the FAA.
Example: ATC held all departures at the gate for forty minutes while a line of thunderstorms crossed the field.
Pronounced as letters. Archie League, who waved signal flags at Lambert Field in St. Louis in 1929, is usually credited as the first air traffic controller. During the 1981 PATCO strike President Reagan fired more than 11,000 striking US controllers. Some countries run ATC outside government: Canada's Nav Canada has been a private nonprofit corporation since 1996.
2. Around the clock
Medical · Prescription Abbreviations
Dosing on a fixed schedule through the day and night, regardless of symptoms, so that drug levels never drop too low. It is used for postoperative pain control, some antibiotics and palliative care, in contrast to PRN dosing.
Example: Acetaminophen 1,000 mg PO q8h ATC for 72 hours after surgery, then PRN.
Writing "ATC" alone does not specify a frequency, so it is paired with an interval (q4h, q6h). Pain specialists favor ATC scheduling for persistent pain because it prevents the peaks and troughs of waiting until pain returns. Not to be confused with the WHO ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical) drug classification code system.
3. Certified athletic trainer
Medical · Healthcare Credential Abbreviations
Credential from the Board of Certification (BOC) for athletic trainers, who prevent, assess and treat injuries in athletes and active people. Candidates must graduate from an accredited program and pass the BOC exam.
Example: Team ATC evaluated ankle sprain on sideline and applied compression wrap.
Athletic training education moved to the master's degree level, accredited by CAATE. Athletic trainers are regulated in nearly every state. They differ from personal trainers, who are not healthcare professionals.
4. Add to cart
Business & Finance · E-commerce & Retail Abbreviations
Button or action that places a product in an online shopping cart, and the metric tracking how often shoppers take that step. The ATC rate is the share of sessions or product views that end with an add to cart.
Example: Our ATC rate is healthy, but half of carts are abandoned at shipping costs.
Retailers analyze the funnel from product view to ATC, checkout and purchase to find where shoppers drop off. In aviation, ATC means air traffic control.
5. Average total cost
Business & Finance · Economics Abbreviations
Total production cost divided by the number of units produced, combining average fixed and average variable costs. The ATC curve is typically U-shaped, falling as fixed costs are spread over more units and rising as capacity strains.
Example: At 10,000 units the plant's ATC bottoms out at $4.20, its most efficient scale.
A firm is profitable when price exceeds ATC at its chosen output. The lowest point of the long-run ATC curve is called the minimum efficient scale. In aviation, ATC means air traffic control.
6. Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification
Medical · Pharmacology Abbreviations
WHO system that classifies drugs into a five-level code by the organ or system they act on, their therapeutic and pharmacological group and their chemical substance. Ramipril, for example, is C09AA05.
Example: ATC level 2 code J01 covers all systemic antibacterials in the national usage report.
The ATC system is maintained by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology in Oslo and is used with defined daily doses (DDD) for international drug utilization research. The first letter gives the anatomical main group, such as C for cardiovascular and N for nervous system. In prescriptions ATC also means "around the clock".
Related abbreviations
More aviation abbreviations
- ARTCC – Air Route Traffic Control Center
- ASM – Available seat miles
- ASOS – Automated Surface Observing System
- ATA – Actual time of arrival
- ATD – Actual time of departure
- ATIS – Automatic Terminal Information Service
- ATP – Airline transport pilot
- ATPL – Airline transport pilot licence
See all 142 aviation abbreviations →
More prescription abbreviations
- aa – Ana (of each)
- AC – Ante cibum (before meals)
- ACHS – Ante cibum et hora somni (before meals and at bedtime)
- ad lib. – Ad libitum (at one's pleasure)
- bd – Bis die (twice a day)
- BID – Bis in die (twice a day)
- BIW – Twice a week
- BT – Bedtime
See all 77 prescription abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.