What does CVS stand for? The pharmacy chain's name began as Consumer Value Stores, the name of a small chain of health and beauty shops that opened in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1963. Over time the long name faded, and the company became known simply by its three letters.
Today CVS is used as a name in its own right, and the parent company is called CVS Health. Outside of retail, the same letters also have medical and technical meanings, which are listed further down.
Quick facts
Stands for
Consumer Value Stores (original name)Type
Initialism used as a brand nameHow to say it
C V S, letter by letterStarted
1963, Lowell, MassachusettsName today
CVS, with parent company CVS HealthOther meanings
Chorionic villus sampling; Concurrent Versions SystemNot to be confused with
CSV, a spreadsheet file type
What does CVS stand for in CVS Pharmacy?
The letters line up with the chain's first full name:
- C = Consumer
- V = Value
- S = Stores
The name described the idea behind the early shops: everyday health and beauty items for shoppers looking for value. Pharmacy counters were added a few years after the first stores opened, and the pharmacy side eventually became the heart of the business.
So in "CVS Pharmacy," the letters are left over from Consumer Value Stores, and the word "pharmacy" describes what the store is now.
CVS stands for something, but the name works on its own
Many companies start with a descriptive name and later keep only the initials. That happened here. The company does not use "Consumer Value Stores" on its signs or in its marketing; it simply calls itself CVS. In that sense, the letters are now a brand name more than an abbreviation.
You may come across other guesses at what the letters mean, often based on words like convenience or service. Those are not the original name. If someone asks what CVS stands for, Consumer Value Stores is the accurate answer.
Text from a friend: "Grabbing your prescription at CVS on the way home." Nobody would write "Consumer Value Stores" here. The letters are the everyday name.
How to write and say the CVS acronym
- Capitals: always CVS, all caps.
- Periods: none. C.V.S. is not used.
- Pronunciation: say each letter, "see vee ess." Strictly, that is an initialism. Calling it the CVS acronym is common too, and acronym vs abbreviation sorts out the two terms.
- A or an: "a CVS," since the letter C is said "see."
- Possessive: "CVS's hours" or "the CVS hours" both work in casual writing.
Other CVS meanings by field
The CVS abbreviation means different things in a doctor's office, a computer lab and a textbook. The setting usually settles which one a writer means.
| Field | Stands for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnancy care | Chorionic villus sampling | A prenatal test that checks a small sample of placental tissue |
| Software | Concurrent Versions System | An older tool programmers used to track changes to code |
| Eye health | Computer vision syndrome | Eye strain and dryness from long hours at a screen |
| Anatomy | Cardiovascular system | The heart and blood vessels, in some textbooks and notes |
Letters people mix up with CVS
A few look-alike short forms cause small mix-ups:
- CSV means comma separated values, a plain text file used for spreadsheets. Same letters, different order.
- CV usually means curriculum vitae, a detailed résumé.
- HSA, a health savings account, often comes up at a pharmacy checkout, but it is a type of account, not a store.
Other companies known by their letters fill the brand name acronyms section of this site.
Questions people ask
What does CVS pharmacy stand for?
The CVS in CVS Pharmacy comes from Consumer Value Stores, the chain's original name. Today the letters are used on their own as the company name.
What is the CVS full form?
The full form is Consumer Value Stores. In medicine, CVS can also mean chorionic villus sampling, and in software it can mean Concurrent Versions System.
What do CVS stand for in health care?
In a hospital or clinic, CVS often means chorionic villus sampling, a prenatal test. In some notes it is short for cardiovascular system.
Where did CVS start?
The first store opened in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1963. The company is now based in Rhode Island.
Is CVS an acronym?
Technically no. Spoken letter by letter, it counts as an initialism, but in casual use acronym is fine and readers will follow you.