An apocopation is a shortened form of a word, usually one in which the end is cut off. Sometimes "apocopation" is used only to cover apocope, in which the end is cut off, as distinguished from procope, in which the beginning is cut off.

Some languages have apocopations internalized as mandatory forms. In Spanish, for instance, many adjectives that come before the noun lose the ending when they precede a noun in the masculine singular form. The word uno (one) thus becomes un and grande (big) becomes gran. In these cases, one would say un mundo (one world) rather than *uno mundo, and gran taco (big taco), rather than *grande taco.

In many languages, apocopation can be used to form a shorter synonym, a sort of spoken abbreviation, of a word, and in many it is used to form an informal name of something. In French, for instance, réac is used as short for réactionnaire and démo means démonstration. Japanese shorten their name for McDonald's, Makudonarudo, into Makudo, and Kentaki Furaido Chikin, or Kentucky Fried Chicken, is referred to as Kenfuraido in daily speech. George Orwell was aware of the power of apocopation when he designed Newspeak; saying the four-letter Nazi rather than the full name Nationalsozialist allowed one to make a quick reference to the party without having to go over the words and think about what the concept implied: national, socialism. For this reason Newspeak aimed for bisyllabic words.

Apocopation is regularly done with the diminutive forms of names: Tom for Thomas, Steve for Stephan, Josh for Joshua, Matt for Matthew, Don for Donald, Tony for Anthony, Alex for Alexander, Andy for Andrew, Meg for Meghan, Liz for Elizabeth.

Some apocopations in English:

  • abs for abdominals
  • ad or advert for advertisement
  • addy for (email) address
  • admin for administration
  • afish for aficionado
  • ag for agricultural
  • amp from amplifier
  • app for application
  • arco for arcology
  • Aussie for Australian
  • auto for automobile
  • av for avatar
  • Ave for Avenue
  • barbie for barbecue
  • bennies for benzedrine
  • bi for bisexual
  • bike for bicycle
  • bio for biology or biography
  • Birks for Birkenstocks
  • bod for body
  • bookie for bookkeeper
  • bop for bebop
  • bot from robot
  • bra for brassiere
  • bro for brother
  • bronc for bronco
  • bronto for brontosaur(us)
  • budgie for budgerigar
  • bunk for bunkum
  • burger for hamburger
  • bus for omnibus
  • butt for buttocks
  • Cal for University of California
  • Cali for California
  • cam for camera
  • caps for capitals
  • 'cause for because
  • cellphone for cellular phone
  • 'cept for except
  • chem for chemistry
  • chemo for chemotherapy
  • chimp for chimpanzee
  • cig for cigarette
  • civ for civilization
  • clit for clitoris
  • coke for cocaine
  • Coke for Coca-Cola
  • Commie for Communist
  • con for convict
  • congrats for congratulations
  • conlang for constructed language
  • corp for corporation
  • cred for credibility
  • crip for cripple
  • croc for crocodile
  • cuke for cucumber
  • curio for curiosity
  • cyber for cubersex
  • cyborg for cybernetic organism
  • decaf for decaffeinated
  • decal for decalcomania
  • deco for decoration
  • def for definitely cool
  • deli for delicatessen
  • delish for delicious
  • Dem for Democrat
  • demo for demonstration
  • derm for dermatologist
  • detox for detoxification
  • dicot for dicotyledon
  • dif for difference
  • dino for dinosaur
  • dis (or diss) for disrespect
  • disco for discotheque
  • divvy for divide
  • doc for doctor
  • dorm for dormitory
  • 'droid for android
  • ed for education
  • el-high for elementary-to-high-school
  • emo from emotional
  • ep for episode
  • eq for equalizer
  • ex for ex-(boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, whatever)
  • exam for examination
  • fan from fanatic
  • fanfic for fan fiction
  • flu for influenza
  • frank for frankfurter
  • fridge for refrigerator
  • fries for French fries
  • 'fro for Afro
  • 'gainst for against
  • ganj for ganja
  • gas for gasoline
  • gator for alligator
  • Gen X for Generation X
  • gig for gigabyte
  • glutes for gluteus maximus
  • goalie for goalkeeper
  • go fig for go figure
  • grad for graduate (or graduation, as in grad night)
  • graf for paragraph
  • gym for gymnasium
  • hankie for handkerchief
  • hash for hashish
  • hetero for heterosexual
  • hi-fi for high fidelity
  • hippo for hippopotamus
  • home ec for home economics
  • homie for homeboy
  • homo for homosexual
  • Humvee for human vehicle
  • hype from hyper-
  • idee for idea
  • Inc for Incorporated
  • inf for infinitely
  • infra dig for infra dignitatem
  • inti for intifada
  • intro for introduction
  • ipecac for ipecacuanha
  • Jap for Japanese (person)
  • karaoke from kara-ookesutora (borrowed from Japanese)
  • kid-vid for kids' videos
  • kilo for kilogram
  • klepto for kleptomaniac
  • lab for laboratory
  • leet from elite
  • legit from legitimate
  • les or lesbo for lesbian
  • lib for liberation or Libertarian
  • libes for library
  • limo for limousine
  • lino for linoleum
  • lit for literature
  • lit-crit for literary critic(ism)
  • lube for lubricant
  • mac for macaroni or Macintosh
  • mag for magazine
  • mark for deutschmark
  • math for mathematics
  • max for maximum
  • mayo for mayonnaise
  • med for medic
  • meg for megabyte
  • meth for methamphetamine
  • Mexi for Mexican
  • mezc for mescaline
  • mike (or mic) for microphone or microgram
  • Minn for Minnesota
  • Miss for Mississippi
  • mono for mononucleosis
  • monocot for monocotyledon
  • muskie for muskellunge
  • narc from narcotics inspector
  • Nazi from Nationalsozialist (borrowed from German)
  • 'neath for beneath or underneath
  • negs for negatives
  • neocon for neoconservative
  • nonie for nondenominational Christian
  • noob (or n00b) for newbie
  • nuke for nuclear weapon
  • nympho for nymphomaniac
  • OB/GYN for obstretrician-cum-gynecologist
  • Okie from Oklahoman
  • op for optical or operation or opportunity
  • op-ed for opinion editorial
  • orang for orangutan
  • Paki for Pakistani
  • pants from pantaloons
  • pecs for pectorals
  • Peke for Pekingese
  • Penn for Pennsylvania
  • perm for permanent wave
  • perp for perpetrator
  • perv for pervert
  • phone for telephone
  • photo for photograph
  • phys ed for physical education
  • piano for pianoforte (borrowed from Italian)
  • pic for (digital) picture
  • plane for airplane
  • Pokémon for Pocket Monster (borrowed from Japanese)
  • pol for politician
  • polio for poliomyelitis
  • poli sci for political science
  • poly for polytechnic
  • Po-mo for post-modern
  • pop for popular
  • porn for pornography
  • possum for opossum
  • pram for perambulator
  • prefs for preferences
  • preg for pregnant
  • prep from preparatory
  • pres (or prez) for president
  • Presbo for Presbyterian
  • pro for professional
  • prof for professor
  • prom from promenade
  • promo for promotion
  • prop for propaganda or proposition
  • props for proper respect
  • psych for psychology
  • psycho for psychopath
  • psych-pop for psychedelic popular (music)
  • pyro for pyromaniac
  • quad for quadrangle
  • rad for radical
  • Rasta for Rastafarian
  • Reb for Rebel (i.e. Confederate)
  • rec for recreation
  • ref for referee
  • rehab for rehabilitation
  • remote for remote control
  • 'rents for parents
  • rep for reputation or representative or Republican
  • repo for repossession
  • rhino for rhinoceros
  • 'roo for kangaroo
  • San Fran for San Francisco
  • sarky for sarcastic
  • sax for saxophone
  • schizo for schizophrenic
  • sci-fi for science fiction
  • Scottie for Scotch Terrier
  • Sea-Tac from Seattle-Tacoma
  • sec for second
  • shake for milkshake
  • show biz for show business
  • 'shrooms for (hallucinogenic) mushrooms
  • sibs for siblings
  • sig for (Internet) signature
  • siggy for significant other
  • sim for simulation
  • sis for sister
  • sitch for situation
  • sitcom for situation comedy
  • slow-mo for slow motion
  • SoCal for Southern California
  • SoHo for South Houston
  • soph for sophomore
  • sosh for socialite
  • spaz for spasm
  • specs for spectacles
  • sperm for spermatozoön
  • staph for staphylococcus
  • stat from statim (borrowed from Latin)
  • stats for statistics
  • steno for stenographer
  • strep for streptococcus
  • sub for submarine or substitute
  • sum for summarize
  • summat for something
  • sus (or suss) for suspect
  • sync (or synch) for synchronization
  • synth for synthesizer
  • syph for syphilis
  • sysop for systems operator
  • 'tard for retard (the noun)
  • tarp for tarpaulin
  • taxi (or taxicab) for taximeter cabriolet
  • tech for technology
  • teddy for teddy bear
  • teen for teen-ager
  • tele for television
  • Tex-Mex for Texan-Mexican
  • tranq for tranquilizer
  • trig for trigonometry
  • trike for tricycle
  • 'tude for attitude
  • tux for tuxedo
  • 'tween for between
  • typo for typographical error
  • undies for underwear
  • uni for university
  • veep for VP, itself an initialism for vice-president
  • veg for vegetate
  • veggie for vegetarian
  • veggies for vegetables
  • vet for veterinarian or veteran
  • vibes for vibrations
  • Wisc for Wisconsin
  • X for Ecstasy
  • xolo for xoloitzcuintli
  • Yank for Yankee
  • 'za for pizza
  • zep for zeppelin (or Led Zeppelin)
  • zine from magazine
  • zoo for zoological garden

When apocopation is done with Cockney rhyming slang, it is called hemiteleia:

  • 'bread\' from bread-and-honey
  • raspberry from raspberry tart
  • titfer from tit-for-tat

See also: abbreviation, acronym, initialism.