What does SAS stand for? In news, history and war stories, the letters almost always mean the Special Air Service, a special forces regiment of the British Army. In offices and universities, SAS more often names a statistics software package that began as the Statistical Analysis System.
Those are the two big meanings, but not the only ones. An airline, a computer storage standard and a shoe company also go by SAS. The list below ranks them by how common each is and points out the clue for each.
Quick facts
Main meaning
Special Air Service (British Army)Other meanings
SAS software, Scandinavian Airlines, Serial Attached SCSIType
InitialismHow to say it
S A S, three lettersUsed in
Military history, news, data jobs, travel, computer hardwareNot to be confused with
SAT (a college test) and the word sass
What does SAS stand for? Five answers ranked
- Special Air Service: a British special forces regiment. Clue: soldiers, missions, documentaries.
- SAS software: analytics software first called the Statistical Analysis System. Clue: data, code, job listings, statistics class.
- Scandinavian Airlines: the airline of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, first named Scandinavian Airlines System. Clue: flights, airports, tickets.
- Serial Attached SCSI: a way of connecting hard drives in servers. Clue: storage, cables, server specs.
- San Antonio Shoemakers: a Texas shoe company that uses the initials. Clue: shoes and stores.
The Special Air Service
The Special Air Service was formed during the Second World War to carry out raids behind enemy lines in North Africa. The name was partly a cover: "air service" suggested a parachute unit and was meant to confuse the enemy about the size of British airborne forces. After the war it became a permanent regiment, known for small team operations, hostage rescue and counterterrorism work. Its motto is "Who Dares Wins."
Several other countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have their own SAS regiments modeled on the British one. In the United States, the closest comparison people make is to units such as the Navy SEALs, though they are separate forces with different histories. You will find similar terms under government and military acronyms, and more famous letters live on the famous acronyms hub.
SAS in data and statistics work
The software meaning comes from a university project that grew into a company. The original name, Statistical Analysis System, has since been dropped, and the company now just uses SAS. Analysts use it to clean data, run statistics and build reports, especially in health research, banking, insurance and government.
Job listing: "Two years of experience with SAS or a similar statistics tool." Here SAS is software, and the employer wants someone who can write and run analysis code in it.
You may see related terms such as SAS programmer or SAS certification. They all point to the software, not the military unit.
Travel and tech meanings
On a boarding pass or a flight board, SAS is the Scandinavian airline. People in Denmark, Norway and Sweden say the letters too, and the airline's flights connect cities across Northern Europe.
In computer hardware, Serial Attached SCSI is a standard for linking storage drives to servers. SCSI itself stands for Small Computer System Interface. You will see SAS drives listed next to SATA drives in server specs; they are related standards, with SAS usually aimed at heavier business use. If storage is your interest, the SSD page covers another common drive term.
How to say SAS and write it
Say each letter: "ess ay ess." Saying it like the word sass is a common mistake, and both the regiment and the software company use the letters. Write it in capitals without periods.
- "He served for ten years in the SAS."
- "Our stats course uses SAS for the final project."
- "We flew SAS from Copenhagen to Oslo."
- "The new server takes SAS drives."
Before a noun, write "an SAS," as in "an SAS veteran," since the first sound is "ess."
Questions people ask
What does SAS stand for in the military?
There, SAS stands for Special Air Service, a special forces regiment of the British Army. Australia and New Zealand also have SAS units of their own.
What does SAS stand for in software?
It began as the Statistical Analysis System. Today the company and its analytics software simply go by SAS.
Is the SAS British or American?
The original Special Air Service is British. The United States has its own special operations forces with different names.
How do you pronounce SAS?
Say the three letters, S A S. Pronouncing it like the word sass is not standard for any of its main meanings.
What is the difference between SAS and SATA?
Both connect storage drives to computers. SAS, short for Serial Attached SCSI, is mainly for servers, while SATA is common in everyday desktops and laptops.