DOB
Writing & Everyday abbreviation · Everyday
| Stands for | Date of birth |
|---|---|
| Categories | Writing & Everyday |
DOB stands for Date of birth, an everyday abbreviation.
Labels the field on forms, IDs, medical records and applications where a person's birth date is entered. Banks, hospitals and employers use it to verify identity.
Example: Please enter your DOB in MM/DD/YYYY format, for example 07/04/1990.
Usage notes
Date formats differ: Americans write month-day-year, most of the world uses day-month-year, and the ISO 8601 standard specifies year-month-day (1990-07-04). Hospitals use the DOB with the patient's name as two identifiers to prevent mix-ups. Posting a full birth date online raises the risk of identity theft. Also written D.O.B.