TN

Abbreviation with 6 meanings

TN
Stands for	Tennessee
Meanings	6
Categories	Geography & Places, Medical, Technology & Computing, Texting & Internet Slang

TN has six meanings. The most common are Tennessee (US state) and Trigeminal neuralgia (neurology); it can also stand for True north, Tunisia, Twisted nematic and Tonight.

Meanings of TN at a glance

#	TN stands for	Context
1	Tennessee	Geography & Places › US State
2	Trigeminal neuralgia	Medical › Neurology
3	True north	Geography & Places › Direction
4	Tunisia	Geography & Places › Country Code
5	Twisted nematic	Technology & Computing › Consumer Electronics
6	Tonight	Texting & Internet Slang › Texting and Chat

1. Tennessee

Geography & Places · US State Abbreviations

The Volunteer State became the 16th state on June 1, 1796. Nashville is the capital and largest city, Memphis sits on the Mississippi River, and Tennessee borders eight states, tied with Missouri for the most.

Example: The tour bus pulled into Nashville, TN just in time for the Opry show.

Tenn. is the abbreviation used by AP and most older references. TN was fixed in 1963; TE and TS are not valid. As an ISO country code TN means Tunisia. The Volunteer nickname dates to the War of 1812, when Tennesseans volunteered in large numbers, notably for the Battle of New Orleans.

2. Trigeminal neuralgia

Medical · Neurology Abbreviations

Severe, brief, electric shock-like facial pain in the distribution of the trigeminal nerve, usually on one side, triggered by light touch, chewing, talking or brushing teeth. It most often affects people over 50, frequently from a blood vessel compressing the nerve root.

Example: Lancinating right cheek pain triggered by shaving, lasting seconds: classic TN, carbamazepine started.

Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine are first-line treatments. For drug-resistant cases, microvascular decompression surgery, popularized by Peter Jannetta, moves the compressing vessel away from the nerve; percutaneous procedures and radiosurgery are alternatives. Also called tic douloureux. When it occurs in young adults or on both sides, multiple sclerosis should be considered.

3. True north

Geography & Places · Direction Abbreviations

Direction toward the geographic North Pole along a meridian, labeled TN in the declination diagram of topographic maps. Maps are drawn to true north, while compasses point to magnetic north.

Example: The diagram shows TN, MN and GN, with 12 degrees of east declination.

The angle between true north and magnetic north, called magnetic declination, varies from place to place and changes over time. TN is also Tennessee's postal code.

4. Tunisia

Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations

Tunisia, capital Tunis, alpha-3 TUN, sits on the site of ancient Carthage. The Arab Spring began there in December 2010 when protests forced out President Ben Ali.

Example: Olive oil from TN is one of the country's biggest exports.

In US addresses TN is Tennessee. The language code tn means Tswana. The Tunisian dinar (TND) cannot legally be taken out of the country.

5. Twisted nematic

Technology & Computing · Consumer Electronics Abbreviations

Oldest and cheapest LCD panel technology, offering very fast response times but poor viewing angles and color accuracy. It was once standard on office monitors and budget laptops and remains in some esports monitors.

Example: Colors on the TN laptop screen shift when you tilt it even slightly.

The twisted nematic effect was discovered in the early 1970s and enabled the first practical LCDs in watches and calculators. Viewed from below, TN panels can even invert colors. Many used 6-bit color with dithering to simulate 8-bit. Fast IPS and OLED panels have largely replaced TN for gaming. TN is also the postal code for Tennessee.

6. Tonight

Texting & Internet Slang · Texting and Chat Abbreviations

Shortens "tonight," common in texts making evening plans, as in "u free tn?" Popular with teens and young adults who are arranging hangouts, games or calls on short notice.

Example: Are you still coming to the bonfire tn or nah?

In US postal and address use TN is the abbreviation for Tennessee, and in some chats it also means "tomorrow night," so check the sentence. Often paired with "rn" (right now) and "tmrw" in schedule chat.

More US state abbreviations

PA – Pennsylvania
RI – Rhode Island
SC – South Carolina
SD – South Dakota
TX – Texas
UT – Utah
VA – Virginia
VT – Vermont

See all 51 US state abbreviations →

More neurology abbreviations

TGA – Transient global amnesia
TIA – Transient ischemic attack
TLE – Temporal lobe epilepsy
TM – Transverse myelitis
tPA – Tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase)
TS – Tourette syndrome
TTH – Tension-type headache
UMN – Upper motor neuron

See all 131 neurology abbreviations →

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

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.

TN