pl.
Abbreviation with 11 meanings
| Stands for | Plural |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 11 |
| Categories | Writing & Everyday, Geography & Places, Sports, Business & Finance, Law & Legal, Military |
| Also written | PL, Pl, Pl. |
pl. has 11 meanings. The most common are Plural (grammar and dictionary) and Place (address); it can also stand for Poland, Premier League, Packing list, Private label and Public liability insurance, plus 4 more listed below.
Meanings of pl. at a glance
| # | pl. stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plural | Writing & Everyday › Grammar and Dictionary |
| 2 | Place | Geography & Places › Address |
| 3 | Poland | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 4 | Premier League | Sports › Soccer (Association Football) |
| 5 | Packing list | Business & Finance › Logistics, Supply Chain & Trade |
| 6 | Private label | Business & Finance › E-commerce & Retail |
| 7 | Public liability insurance | Business & Finance › Insurance |
| 8 | Plaintiff | Law & Legal › Litigation |
| 9 | Power locks | Writing & Everyday › Classified Ad |
| 10 | Platoon leader | Military › Military Term |
| 11 | Plate | Writing & Everyday › Citation and Bibliography |
1. Plural
Writing & Everyday · Grammar and Dictionary Abbreviations
Indicates the plural form of a noun, or that a word is used only in the plural. Dictionaries give irregular plurals after the label, such as "mouse, pl. mice" or "criterion, pl. criteria."
Example: cactus (n.), pl. cacti or cactuses, a succulent plant with spines, native to the Americas
Learner's dictionaries add codes such as [pl.] for nouns like "trousers" that are always plural. Latin and Greek borrowings often have two accepted plurals, a classical one and an English -s form, with the English form usually winning in everyday use. In book descriptions and citations, pl. can instead mean "plate," a full-page illustration.
2. Place (Pl)
Geography & Places · Address Abbreviations
Short street, often a single block or a side street off a larger road; some cities use Place for small squares or pedestrian lanes. In Britain a place may be a terrace of houses or a small square.
Example: The bakery moved to 9 Bond Pl, around the corner from the old shop.
PL is the standard USPS form and also the ISO country code for Poland. Place streets are often named after landowners or developers, as in Gramercy Place.
3. Poland (PL)
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Poland, capital Warsaw, alpha-3 POL, joined the EU in 2004 and kept the złoty (PLN) rather than adopting the euro. The .pl domain is one of the largest in Europe.
Example: Polish IBANs start with PL and contain 28 characters.
The language code is also pl, as in pl-PL. Sports bodies use POL. In English sports writing PL often means the Premier League.
4. Premier League (PL)
Sports · Soccer (Association Football) Abbreviations
Short form British media use for the top division of English soccer, which international and American media often call the EPL. The 20-team league runs from August to May.
Example: He has scored ten PL goals in his first 15 appearances.
The league's own branding uses "Premier League" and "PL" rather than EPL. Founded in 1992, it is the world's most-watched domestic league. Other countries also have leagues named Premier League, such as Russia's and Ukraine's.
5. Packing list (PL)
Business & Finance · Logistics, Supply Chain & Trade Abbreviations
Shipping document itemizing the contents of each package in a shipment, with quantities, weights and dimensions, used by forwarders, customs and receivers to check the goods.
Example: Attach the PL to the outside of carton 1 of 12.
The packing list complements the commercial invoice but generally omits prices. Discrepancies between the two documents often trigger customs inspections.
6. Private label (PL)
Business & Finance · E-commerce & Retail Abbreviations
Products made by one company and sold under a retailer's own brand, such as store brands and own-label goods, typically priced below national brands while giving the retailer higher margins.
Example: Our PL share in paper goods has reached 40% since the rebrand.
Discount grocers such as Aldi sell mostly private label, and Costco's Kirkland Signature, launched in 1992, is among the largest store brands in the world. Private label sales tend to grow during inflationary periods as shoppers trade down.
7. Public liability insurance (PL)
Business & Finance · Insurance Abbreviations
British, Irish and Australian term for insurance covering claims by members of the public for injury or property damage caused by a business's activities, the equivalent of US general liability.
Example: Market traders must show £5 million PL cover before the council grants a pitch.
Products liability, covering injuries caused by products sold, is often bundled with it as "public and products liability." PL is not compulsory in the UK but is often required by venues, councils and clients.
8. Plaintiff (Pl.)
Law & Legal · Litigation Abbreviations
Bluebook abbreviation for "plaintiff" in references to court documents, as in "Pl.'s Mot. Summ. J." for the plaintiff's motion for summary judgment. The plural possessive form is "Pls.'".
Example: Pl.'s Mot. Summ. J. 9 argues that the warranty disclaimer was not conspicuous.
Lawyers' handwritten notes often use the Greek letter pi for plaintiff and delta for defendant. On appeal the parties become appellant and appellee, or petitioner and respondent, but the trial record keeps the original designations. Informal forms such as "Plf." and "Pltf." are common in notes but are not Bluebook style.
9. Power locks (PL)
Writing & Everyday · Classified Ad Abbreviations
Lists power door locks among a vehicle's features in used-car ads, often paired with PW and keyless entry.
Example: Minivan with third row, PL, PW, rear A/C and a new set of tires.
Central locking systems lock or unlock all doors from one switch or key fob. Some ads write PDL (power door locks) instead. Outside car ads, PL commonly refers to the Premier League in English soccer and to Poland's country code.
10. Platoon leader (PL)
Military · Military Term Abbreviations
Army lieutenant who commands a platoon of roughly 16 to 40 soldiers, responsible for its training, discipline and tactical employment, with a platoon sergeant as senior NCO and adviser.
Example: The PL and platoon sergeant walked the defensive line together before sunset.
The Marine Corps and British Army say "platoon commander" instead. Many lieutenants spend their first 12 to 18 months as PLs before moving to staff or executive officer jobs. In radio procedure, the platoon leader is often designated by call sign suffix "6."
11. Plate
Writing & Everyday · Citation and Bibliography Abbreviations
Numbers a plate, a full-page illustration often printed on special paper and numbered separately from the text pages, in book descriptions and citations, as in "pl. 12."
Example: The engraving of the dodo appears as pl. 4, facing page 112 in the first edition.
Plates were traditionally printed separately, often by engraving or lithography, and bound into the book, which is why they carry their own numbering. Rare-book dealers note "with 24 plates" so buyers can check that a copy is complete. In grammar, pl. means plural.
Related abbreviations
More grammar and dictionary abbreviations
- orig. – Originally
- part. – Participle
- pass. – Passive
- PIE – Proto-Indo-European
- poet. – Poetic
- POS – Part of speech
- poss. – Possessive
- pp. – Past participle
See all 93 grammar and dictionary abbreviations →
More address abbreviations
- Ofc – Office
- Orch – Orchard
- PH – Penthouse
- Pkwy – Parkway
- Plz – Plaza
- PMB – Private mailbox
- PO Box – Post office box
- Pr – Prairie
See all 118 address abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.