The usual national abbreviation is natl., with a period, or nat'l, with an apostrophe where letters were dropped. Both are read aloud as "national," and both get a capital N when they begin a name, as in Natl. Park or Nat'l Bank. A third form, nat., is shorter but risky, since it can also stand for natural or native.
Most of the time, though, national is not shortened to a few letters at all. It shrinks to a single N inside an acronym. The National Basketball Association becomes the NBA, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration becomes NASA. Both habits are covered below.
Quick facts
Abbreviation
natl. or nat'lCapitalized
Natl. or Nat'l in namesAvoid
nat., which can mean natural or nativePlural
natls. (rare), for nationalsIn acronyms
Used in
Bank names, maps, signs, forms, sportsPairs with
Intl. for international
Natl. vs nat'l: picking a national abbreviation
| Form | Style | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Natl. | Period at the end | Reference lists, tables, forms, formal reports |
| Nat'l | Apostrophe for the missing letters | Signs, bank and company names, headlines, ads |
| Nat. | Period, shortest form | Some older lists; often unclear, so best avoided |
| N | One letter inside a set of capitals | Agency, league and group acronyms |
Neither natl. nor nat'l is wrong. Pick one per document. More shortcuts of this kind are gathered in common abbreviations.
Where you see the short form
- Banks: many older banks put National in their names, and signs or checks may print Nat'l or Natl.
- Parks and maps: NP or Natl. Park on trail maps; Natl. Forest or NF on road atlases.
- Forms: a field such as "Natl. ID No." asks for a national identity number, common on forms from other countries.
- The military: Natl. Guard or Nat'l Guard is common in headlines with tight space.
- Sports: "natl. champs" in a sports page box score.
Highway sign: "Big Bend Nat'l Park, 42 mi." The apostrophe form fits the sign, and mi. is miles. The miles abbreviation page covers that one.
The N in famous acronyms
When national begins a long official name, people usually drop the word down to N and read the result as a word or as letters.
| Letters | Said as | Full form |
|---|---|---|
| NASA | A word | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NBA | Letters | National Basketball Association |
| NSA | Letters | National Security Agency |
| NCAA | "N C double A" | National Collegiate Athletic Association |
Groups such as the NAACP and NASCAR also open with a national N.
Not every N means national. In NATO it stands for North, and in NGO it stands for non. Check the full form before you guess. The guide to what an acronym is explains why some letter groups get spoken as words while others are read out letter by letter.
Periods, apostrophes and capitals
Natl. takes a period, the usual mark of a shortened word in American writing. Nat'l uses an apostrophe to show where the middle letters went, the same way can't shows a missing o. Do not use both at once, as in nat'l., which doubles up.
Inside a proper name, such as Natl. Weather Service, the N is a capital; keep it lowercase in general text like "natl. average." In formal writing for the public, spelling out national is usually best.
National, nationality and international
- Nationality: on forms, the short form is often Nat. or Nationality written out. Read the label closely so you know if the box asks for your country of citizenship.
- International: Intl. or Int'l, built the same way. See the international abbreviation.
- Association: Assn. or Assoc., often next to national in group names. The association abbreviation page lists both.
- Nationals: in sports, the national championship event, sometimes written natls.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for national?
It is natl. or nat'l. Both are correct and both are read as national. Use a capital N inside names.
Is it natl or nat'l?
Either works. Natl. with a period is more common in tables and reference lists, while nat'l with an apostrophe is common on signs and in names.
Can I abbreviate national as nat.?
You can, but it can be confused with natural or native. Natl. or nat'l is clearer.
What does the N stand for in NBA and NASA?
In both, N stands for national. NBA is the National Basketball Association and NASA is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.