List of Masonic abbreviations


Masonic abbreviations of technical terms or official titles are very extensively used in Freemasonry traditionally using the Masonic three dots. They serve to abbreviate long or commonly-referenced titles in the fraternity.
These abbreviations were rarely employed in the earlier Masonic publications. There are no abbreviations, for example, found in Anderson's Constitutions. These came into use particularly by French authors during the 19th century.

Typography

Traditionally the Three dots also known as "tripunctual abbreviation" or "triple dot" is a symbol used all over the world in Freemasonry for abbreviations, signatures, and symbolic representation. The dots are typically arranged in a triangular pattern and carry multiple layers of meaning within Masonic tradition. The is used only for Masonic abbreviations, any non-masonic abbreviations must be written with a simple dot, as an example a date on a Masonic document could be written 6024 A∴L∴/2024 A.D.
In modern computer typography, the Therefore, sign is encoded in Unicode at U+2234 ∴ and in HTML. In many word processing programs therefore can be created by typing 2234 ALT+x, or ALT 8756. It is also possible to create the inverse, because, at U+2235 ∵, 2235 ALT+x, or ALT 8757.

History

The symbol has been used in Freemasonry since its earliest speculative days, at least as early as 1764, where it is found in the registers of La Sincerité Lodge in Besançon, France which strongly indicates an earlier use. While some attribute its widespread adoption to a circular issued by the Grand Orient de France on August 12, 1774, evidence shows earlier usage.
The symbol predates Freemasonry, appearing in various contexts:
  • Mathematical notation
  • Christian religious texts
The doubling of a letter is intended to express the plural of that word of which the single letter is the abbreviation. For example, B∴ signifies "Brother," and BB∴ " "Brothers." L∴ is used to denote "Lodge", and LL∴ to denote "Lodges". However exceptions exist; for example, Sovereign Grand Inspectors General is abbreviated as S∴G∴I∴G∴, and not S∴G∴II∴G∴.
Sometimes the same abbreviation can be used for different words, in this case the context matters, for example; F∴M∴ can mean both Free-Masonry or Free Mason, FF∴MM∴ would be its plural form.

List

Some examples of Masonic abbreviations include:

A

  • A.Dep. – Anno Depositionis, the date used by Royal and Select Masters
  • A∴&A∴ – Ancient and Accepted
  • A∴A∴S∴R∴ - Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
  • A∴ C∴ - Anno Coadio. Latin, meaning the Year of Destruction; referring to the year 1314 in Knights Templar history.
  • A∴F∴M∴ – Ancient Freemasons
  • A∴F∴&A∴M∴ – Ancient Free and Accepted Masons
  • A∴Inv∴ – Anno Inventionis. "In the Year of the Discovery", the date used by Royal Arch Masons
  • A∴L∴ – Anno Lucis, "In the Year of light" the date used by Ancient Craft Masons
  • A∴ L∴ G∴ D∴ G∴ A∴ D∴ L'U∴ – À la Gloire du Grand Architecte de L'Univers. "To the Glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe" The usual caption of French Masonic documents.
  • A∴ L∴ G∴ D∴ G∴ A∴ D∴ U∴ – A la Gloria del Gran Arquitecto del Universo. "To the Glory of the Grand Architect of the Universe" The usual caption of Spanish Masonic documents.
  • A∴ L'O∴ – À L'Orient, "At the East" The seat of the Lodge
  • A.M. – Anno Mundi, "In The Year of the World". The date used in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
  • A∴O∴ – Anno Ordinis, "In the Year of the Order". The date allegedly used by Knights Templars
  • A∴Y∴M∴ – Ancient York Mason

    B

  • B∴ – Brother in English or Bruder. German, meaning Brother.
  • BB∴ - Brothers
  • B∴A∴ - Buisson Ardent. French, meaning Burning Bush.
  • B∴ B∴ – Burning Bush.
  • Bn∴ – Brudern. German, meaning Brethren.
  • B∴L∴ - Blue Lodge.
  • B∴ D∴ W∴ P∴ H∴ G∴ S∴ - Beauty, Divinity, Wisdom, Power, Honour, Glory, Strength.
  • B∴ L∴ R∴ T∴ - Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

    C

  • Comp∴ – Companion. Used by Brethren of the Royal Arch.
  • C∴C∴ – Celestial Canopy.
  • C∴H∴ – Captain of the Host.

    D

  • D∴ – Deputy.
  • D. and A.F.– Due and Ancient Form.
  • D∴ G∴ C∴ - District Grand Chapter
  • D∴ D∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – District Deputy Grand High Priest.
  • D∴ D∴ G∴ M∴ – District Deputy Grand Master
  • D∴ G∴ M∴ – Deputy Grand Master.
  • D∴ G∴ B∴ A∴ W∴ – Der Grosse Baumeister aller Welten, "The Grand Architect of All Worlds"
  • D∴ G∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – Deputy General Grand High Priest.
  • D∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – Deputy Grand High Priest.
  • D∴ G∴ M∴ – Deputy Grand Master.
  • D∴ M∴ J∴ – Deus Meumque Jus, "God and My Right"
  • D∴ Prov∴ G∴ M∴ – Deputy Provincial Grand Master.
  • Deg. – Degree or Degrees. Another way is as in 33, meaning Thirty-Third Degree.
  • Dist. – District.

    E

  • E∴ – Eminent; Excellent; also East.
  • E∴A∴ – Entered Apprentice. Sometimes abbreviated E∴ A∴ P∴
  • E∴ C∴ – Excellent Companion.
  • Ec∴ – Écossais, "Scottish", or belonging to the Scottish Rite
  • E∴ G∴ C∴ – Eminent Grand Commander.
  • E∴ G∴ M∴ – Early Grand Master.
  • E∴ O∴ L∴ – Ex Oriente Lux, "Out of the East comes Light".

    F

  • F∴ – Frère, "Brother"
  • F.&A.M. – Free and Accepted Masons.
  • F∴C∴ – Fellow Craft.
  • F∴M∴ – Freemason or Freemasonry.

    G

  • G. and G∴ – Depending on the context, refers to God, Great, Grand, Geometry, Gravitation, Gold, Generation, Genius and Gnosis
  • G∴ A∴ O∴ T∴ U∴ – Grand Architect of the Universe.
  • G∴ A∴ S∴ – Grand Annual Sojourn.
  • G.C.– Grand Chapter; Grand Council; Grand Cross; Grand Commander; Grand Chaplain; Grand Conclave; Grand Conductor; Grand Chancellor.
  • G∴ C∴ G∴ – Grand Captain General; Grand Captain of the Guard.
  • G ∴ C∴ H∴ – Grand Captain of the Host; Grand Chapter of Heredom.
  • G∴ Com∴ – Grand Commandery; Grand Commander.
  • G∴ D∴ – Grand Deacon.
  • G∴ D∴ C∴ – Grand Director of Ceremonies.
  • G∴ E∴ – Grand Encampment; Grand Bast; Grand Ezra.
  • G∴ J∴ W∴ – Grand Junior Warden.
  • G∴ G∴ C∴ – General Grand Chapter.
  • G∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – General Grand High Priest.
  • G∴ G∴ K∴ – General Grand King.
  • G∴ G∴ M∴ F∴ V∴ – General Grand Master of the First Veil.
  • G∴ G∴ S∴ – General Grand Scribe.
  • G∴ G∴ T∴ – General Grand Treasurer.
  • G∴ H∴ P∴ – Grand High Priest.
  • G∴ K∴ – Grand King.
  • G∴ L∴ - Grand Lodge. Grande Loge. Grosse Loge.
  • GG∴ LL∴ Grand Lodges -
  • G∴ L∴ A∴ – Grand Lodge Above, the afterlife.
  • G∴ M∴ – Grand Master; Grand Marshal; Grand Monarch.
  • G∴ N∴ – Grand Nehemiah.
  • G∴O∴ – Grand Orient; Grand Organist.
  • G∴ P∴ – Grand Pursuivant; Grand Prior; Grand Prelate; Grand Preceptor; Grand Preceptory; Grand Patron; Grand Priory; Grand Patriarch; Grand Principal.
  • G∴ P∴ S∴ – Grand Principal Sojourner
  • G∴ R∴ – Grand Registrar; Grand Recorder.
  • G∴ R∴ A∴ C∴ – Grand Royal Arch Chapter.
  • G∴ R∴ C∴ – Grand Registry of Canada.
  • G∴ S∴ – Grand Scribe; Grand Secretary; Grand Steward.
  • G∴ S∴ B∴ – Grand Sword Bearer; Grand Sword Bearer.
  • G∴ S∴ E∴ – Grand Scribe Ezra.
  • G∴ S∴ N∴ – Grand Scribe Nehemiah.
  • G∴ S∴ W∴ – Grand Senior Warden.
  • G∴ T∴ – Grand Treasurer; Grand Tyler.

    H

  • H∴ A∴ or H∴ A∴ B∴ - Hiram Abif.
  • H∴ E∴ – Holy Empire.
  • H∴ J∴ – Heilige Johannes, "Holy Saints John"
  • H∴ K∴ T∴ – Hiram, King of Tyre.
  • H∴ R∴ D∴ M∴ – Heredom.

    I

  • Ill∴ – Illustrious.
  • I∴ N∴ R∴ I∴ – Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudoeorum. Latin, meaning "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews". The Letters are also the initials of a significant sentence in Latin, namely, Igne Natura Renovatur Integra, meaning "By fire nature is perfectly renewed".
  • I∴ P∴ M∴ – Immediate Past Master. English title of an official last promoted from the chair.
  • I∴ T∴ N∴ O∴ T∴ G∴ A∴ O∴ T∴ U∴ – In the Name of the Grand Architect of the Universe. Often forming the caption of Masonic documents.
  • I∴ G∴ - Inner Guard

    J

  • J∴ W∴ – Junior Warden.
  • J∴ D∴ - Junior Deacon.
  • J∴ S∴ - Junior Steward.
  • J∴ G∴ W∴ - Junior Grand Warden.

    K

  • K∴ – King.
  • K∴ E∴ P∴ – Knight of the Eagle and Pelican
  • K∴ H∴ – Kadash, Knight of Kadosh.
  • K∴ H∴ S∴ – Knight of the Holy Sepulcher
  • K∴ M∴ – Knight of Malta
  • K∴ S∴ – King Salomon
  • K∴ T∴ – Knights Templar; Knight Templar.
  • K∴ R∴ C∴ - Knight of the Rose+Croix

    L

  • L∴ – Lodge. Also Lehrling meaning "Apprentice".
  • L∴ R∴ – Lonon Rank. A distinction was introduced in England in 1908.
  • L∴ V∴ X∴ – Lux. Latin, meaning Light.

    M

  • M∴ – Mason; Masonry; Marshal; Mark; Minister; Master. Meister, in German. Maître, in French.
  • M∴ C∴ – Middle Chamber.
  • M∴ E∴ – Most Eminent; Most Excellent.
  • M∴ E∴ G∴ H∴ P∴ – Most Excellent Grand High Priest.
  • M∴ E∴ G∴ M∴ – Most Eminent Grand Master.
  • M∴ E∴ M∴ – Most Excellent Master.
  • M∴ E∴ Z∴ – Most Excellent Zerubbabel.
  • M∴ K∴ G∴ – Maurer Kunst Geselle. German, meaning Fellow Craft.
  • M∴ L∴ – Maurer Lehrling. German, meaning Entered Apprentice.
  • M∴ L∴ – Mère Loge. French, meaning Mother Lodge.
  • M∴ M∴ – Master Mason. Mois Maçonnique, "Masonic Month" : March 18 the first Masonic month among French Freemasons. Also Meister Maurer, "Master Mason"
  • M∴ P∴ S∴ – Most Puissant Sovereign.
  • M∴ W∴ – Most Worshipful.
  • M∴ W∴ G∴ M∴ – Most Worshipful Grand Master; Most Worthy Grand Matron.
  • M∴ W∴ G∴ P∴ – Most Worthy Grand Patron.
  • M∴ W∴ M∴ – Most Wise Master
  • M∴ W∴ S∴ – Most Wise Sovereign

    N

  • N∴ E∴ C∴ – North-east Corner.
  • N'o∴ P∴ V∴ D∴ M∴ – N'oubliez pas vos décorations Maçonniques, "Do not forget your Masonic regalia", a phrase used in France on the corner of a summons.

    O

  • O∴ – Orient.
  • O∴A∴C∴ – Ordo ab Chao, "Order Out of Chaos"
  • Ob∴ – Obligation.
  • Of∴ – Officer.
  • Or∴ - Orator.