lbs

Units & Measurements abbreviation · US Customary and Imperial Unit

lbs
Stands forPounds
CategoriesUnits & Measurements

lbs stands for Pounds, a US customary and imperial unit abbreviation.

The plural form of lb, very common in everyday American writing for body weight, gym plates, shipping and product weights. It names the same 0.4536 kg unit; only the added s differs.

Example: He's lost 25 lbs since January by walking every morning.

Usage notes

Style and technical standards disagree on the s: NIST and scientific writing treat unit symbols as invariable, so 5 lb is correct, while consumer packaging, fitness writing and shipping labels routinely use lbs. The AP Stylebook prefers spelling out pounds in running text. Either form is understood; consistency within a document matters most.

More US customary and imperial unit abbreviations

  • gi – Gill
  • gr – Grain
  • hh – Hands high
  • imp – Imperial
  • in – Inch
  • lb – Pound (avoirdupois)
  • LF – Linear foot
  • mi – Mile
  • mil – Mil (thousandth of an inch)
  • NM – Nautical mile
  • oz – Ounce (avoirdupois)
  • ozt – Troy ounce

See all 43 US customary and imperial unit abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.