The usual abbreviation for center is ctr., written with a period in notes and lists and as CTR in capital letters on mailing addresses. You will see it on envelopes, building signs, maps and forms where space is tight: "Medical Ctr.," "Town Ctr. Dr.," "1200 Civic CTR."
When you read the short form aloud, say the whole word, center. In sports, the single letter C marks the center position, and in some fields cntr shows up as an informal shortcut. For essays and most everyday writing, though, spell the word out.
Quick facts
Main abbreviation
ctr. (Ctr. at the start of a name)Mailing address
CTR, the USPS standard street suffixPlural
ctrs. (CTRS in addresses)Period or no period
Period in notes and names; no period in USPS address styleSports
C for the center position; CF for center fieldOther forms seen
cntr, cen.British spelling
Centre, also shortened to ctr.
The common abbreviation for center
Ctr. keeps the first letter and two strong consonants from the word, then adds a period to show letters were dropped. That pattern matches many other American short forms, such as bldg. for building and dept. for department.
| Form | Best use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ctr. | Notes, lists, signs, tables | "Meet at the rec ctr." |
| Ctr. | Inside a proper name | "Lakeside Medical Ctr." |
| CTR | Mailing addresses | "40 Commerce CTR" |
| C | Sports rosters and lineups | "C: #12" |
| cntr | Informal notes, some technical drawings | "Align to cntr line" |
Of these, ctr. is the one most readers recognize instantly. Dozens of other clipped words sit on the common abbreviations hub.
Center in mailing addresses
On the official postal suffix chart, Center appears as CTR. Addresses formatted for machines use all capitals and no punctuation.
On a shipping label:
RIVERBEND DENTAL
210 MARKET CTR STE 4
ANYTOWN TX 75001
Here CTR is the street name ending, just like ST or AVE, and STE is suite.
If a business is named a center but the street itself is not, keep the word in the business line and leave the street as it is: "Hope Community Center, 18 Elm St." The suffix rule only applies to the street part of the address. Similar suffixes include BLVD for boulevard and PKWY for parkway.
Using the center abbreviation in names and signs
Buildings with long names often shorten center on signs, badges and calendar entries. Keep the capital C when the word belongs to a proper name.
- "Pine Valley Med. Ctr." for a hospital
- "Westgate Shopping Ctr." on a map
- "Sr. Ctr. lunch, Tues." on a community calendar
- "Ctr. for Applied Research" in a footnote
On a formal letterhead, a website heading or an official document, organizations usually write the full word. Abbreviating your own center's name in a formal title can look careless.
C, CF and other center letters in sports
Team sheets use single letters to save room, and center gets one of the shortest.
- Basketball: C is the center, often the tallest player.
- Football: C is the player who snaps the ball.
- Hockey: C is the center forward, and a C stitched on a jersey also marks the team captain.
- Baseball: CF is center field.
Context matters with the hockey C. On a lineup card it is a position, but on a sweater it means captain.
Center vs centre, and plural forms
American English spells it center. Most other English speaking countries prefer centre. Both shorten to ctr., so the abbreviation does not change across the Atlantic. Some style lists also show cen., but it can be mistaken for other words, so it is less helpful.
Two or more centers? Write ctrs., placing the s right after the r. In an address the suffix becomes CTRS, as in "100 Twin CTRS." Words built on center, such as central and centered, have no common abbreviation, with one exception: Central Time is CT, explained on our Central Time abbreviation page.
Quick rules for the center abbreviation
- Spell out center in sentences, essays and formal writing.
- Use ctr. with a period for notes, tables and signs.
- Use CTR, no period, as a street suffix on mail.
- Use C or CF only on sports rosters and scorecards.
- Do not write cent. for center, since readers may read it as cent or century.
Our how to abbreviate guide shows the same method for other words.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for center?
The standard abbreviation for center is ctr., with a period. In mailing addresses the postal service uses CTR, written in capitals without a period.
How do you abbreviate center in an address?
Use CTR as the street suffix, for example "55 Harbor CTR." If center is part of a business or building name rather than the street, you can leave it spelled out.
Is it ctr or cntr?
Ctr. is the standard choice and the one most readers know. Cntr appears in casual notes and some drawings, but it is not used in addresses or formal lists.
What does C mean on a basketball roster?
It stands for center, the position usually played closest to the basket. Guards are G and forwards are F.
Does the abbreviation for centre differ from center?
No. Both spellings shorten to ctr. The difference between center and centre is only in the full word.