DD
Abbreviation with 8 meanings
| Stands for | Developmental delay |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 8 |
| Categories | Medical, Units & Measurements, Business & Finance, Military, Texting & Internet Slang, Education & Academia |
DD has eight meanings. The most common are Developmental delay (pediatric & neonatal) and Day (two-digit, in date formats) (time); it can also stand for Due diligence, Dishonorable discharge, Demand draft, Direct debit and Dear daughter, plus 1 more listed below.
Meanings of DD at a glance
| # | DD stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Developmental delay | Medical › Pediatric & Neonatal |
| 2 | Day (two-digit, in date formats) | Units & Measurements › Time |
| 3 | Due diligence | Business & Finance › Finance |
| 4 | Dishonorable discharge | Military › Military Term |
| 5 | Demand draft | Business & Finance › Banking |
| 6 | Direct debit | Business & Finance › Banking |
| 7 | Dear daughter | Texting & Internet Slang › Parenting Forum |
| 8 | Doctor of Divinity | Education & Academia › Degree |
1. Developmental delay
Medical · Pediatric & Neonatal Abbreviations
Significant lag in reaching milestones in one or more areas: gross motor, fine motor, speech and language, social-emotional or cognitive skills. Early identification through routine screening allows referral for therapies while the brain is most adaptable.
Example: Speech DD at 24 months, 10 words; ASQ failed communication domain, refer to early intervention and audiology.
The AAP recommends standardized developmental screening at the 9-, 18- and 30-month visits, plus autism screening at 18 and 24 months. Hearing should always be checked when speech is delayed. In clinical notes DDx means differential diagnosis, which is unrelated.
2. Day (two-digit, in date formats)
Units & Measurements · Time Abbreviations
Placeholder for a two-digit day of the month, 01 to 31, in form instructions and date patterns such as DD/MM/YYYY. Forms use it to show where the day goes and that a leading zero is expected.
Example: Date of birth (DD/MM/YYYY): 07/03/1991.
In Java and Unicode CLDR patterns, lowercase dd is the day of the month while uppercase DD is the day of the year (001 to 366), a frequent source of bugs; JavaScript libraries such as Moment.js use DD for the day of the month instead. Putting the day first is standard in the UK, Europe, India and Australia.
3. Due diligence
Business & Finance · Finance Abbreviations
Investigation a buyer, investor or lender carries out before a transaction to verify facts and uncover risks, covering financial, legal, tax, commercial, operational and environmental matters. Findings can change the price, the deal structure or whether the deal happens at all.
Example: Financial DD uncovered $8 million of unrecorded liabilities, and the buyer cut its offer.
Advisers produce DD reports for each workstream, often coordinated through a virtual data room. "Confirmatory DD" takes place after an LOI to verify what was assumed in the bid. In banking, DD can instead mean a direct debit or a demand draft.
4. Dishonorable discharge
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Most severe punitive discharge for enlisted members, imposed only by a general court-martial for serious crimes such as desertion, sexual assault or murder. Commissioned officers receive a dismissal instead.
Example: The court-martial sentenced him to 15 years in prison and a DD.
A dishonorable discharge forfeits nearly all veterans benefits and, under federal law, bars the person from possessing firearms. It is often confused with an other-than-honorable discharge, which is administrative rather than criminal. In military forms, DD also prefixes Department of Defense forms, such as the DD-214.
5. Demand draft
Business & Finance · Banking Abbreviations
Prepaid negotiable instrument issued by a bank in South Asia, ordering payment of a fixed sum to a named payee, used when a guaranteed payment is required, such as for exam fees, admissions or property deposits. Because the bank collects the money upfront, it cannot bounce like a personal cheque.
Example: Applicants must enclose a DD for ₹1,500 drawn in favor of the university, payable at Delhi.
Demand drafts are widely used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, though digital payments such as UPI and NEFT have reduced their use. In India a DD is valid for three months from issue. The equivalent elsewhere is a banker's draft or cashier's check.
6. Direct debit
Business & Finance · Banking Abbreviations
UK and European payment method in which a customer authorizes an organization, such as a utility, gym or lender, to collect variable amounts directly from their bank account on agreed dates. In the UK, Direct Debits are processed through the Bacs system.
Example: Your council tax will be collected by DD on the 1st of each month.
UK Direct Debits carry the Direct Debit Guarantee, which entitles customers to an immediate refund from their bank if an error is made. In the eurozone, SEPA Direct Debit lets companies collect euro payments across borders. In deal-making, DD more often means due diligence.
7. Dear daughter
Texting & Internet Slang · Parenting Forum Abbreviations
Code for the poster's daughter in parenting forums, as in "DD (6) has started ballet." Ages are often added in brackets to give context.
Example: DD is starting secondary school in September and is very nervous.
Like DS, it can be numbered (DD1, DD2) for families with several daughters. In business, DD means due diligence, and on investing forums it refers to research posts, a sense unrelated to family. The age in brackets is a standard forum style.
8. Doctor of Divinity
Education & Academia · Degree Abbreviations
Divinity degree that in the US is almost always honorary, conferred by colleges and seminaries on distinguished clergy, while at Oxford, Cambridge and some Commonwealth universities it remains a higher doctorate earned through published theological work. Holders are often styled "the Reverend Dr." in church settings.
Example: The seminary conferred a DD on the bishop in recognition of forty years of ministry.
Written D.D. Because the American DD is usually honorary, many style guides discourage using "Dr." on the strength of it alone. Diploma mills have long sold DD certificates, so the awarding institution matters. In family texting, DD can also mean "dear daughter".
Related abbreviations
More pediatric & neonatal abbreviations
- ALTE – Apparent life-threatening event
- APGAR – Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration (Apgar score)
- BRUE – Brief resolved unexplained event
- CCHD – Critical congenital heart disease
- DOL – Day of life
- DTaP – Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine
- EI – Early intervention
- ELBW – Extremely low birth weight
See all 51 pediatric & neonatal abbreviations →
More time abbreviations
- BP – Before Present
- CE – Common Era
- CY – Calendar year
- d – Day
- DD/MM/YYYY – Day/month/year (date format)
- FY – Fiscal year
- h – Hour
- H1 – First half
See all 51 time abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.