AC Meaning
Last Updated:What does AC mean?
AC means Audio Credit. It could also mean Air Conditioning, Alternating Current, Atlantic City, or Armor Class.
On this page:
AC is an abbreviation and initialism that stands for “audio credit”, a term often used on Instagram.
AC can also stand for “air conditioning”, “alternating current” (electricity), “Atlantic City” (a city in New Jersey known for its casinos) and “armor class” (RPG term).
Where is AC used?
AC is used on Instagram and TikTok to mean “audio credit”. It used to be a popular on the social work Vine, which shut down in 2016.
For most other meanings, AC is often used in real life. For example, you would tell someone to turn up the air conditioning or you would tell someone that this battery requires AC electric.
When used to mean “armor class”, the term is primarily used in online chats where gamers talk to each other (e.g. on Discord).
AC is used on the follow platforms and places:
- IRL
- texting
- online conversation
- TikTok
How is AC used?
AC is used to give credit to someone (or some people) who originally created some audio – usually a song. For example, you might make a video using a song from an up-and-coming artist, post it to Instagram and give them credit in your caption.
Do people say AC out loud?
When talking about audio credit or armor class, people do not use AC out loud.
People do, however, say “AC” when talking about air conditioning, alternating current or Atlantic City.
Example Uses of AC
New video I made! Hope you like it! AC: @artist
Someone posts a video to Instagram using someone else's music but giving the credit in the caption.
Had fun making this! ac: @person
Someone gives a person audio credit in the caption of their Instagram post.
On Instagram:Love this song! Here's a little video I put together. ac: @friend
Someone makes a video using their friend's song and gives them credit when posting it on Instagram.
On Instagram:Training day. vc: @filmer ac: @musician
A fitness influencer posts a video to Instagram of their training session. They give credit to the people who filmed and made the song that they used.
On Instagram:Little video from the past year. ac: @singer
Someone posts a video to Instagram and gives credit to the person whose song they used.
In real life:You should turn that AC on, it's going to get super hot out today.
Someone tells their husband to turn that air conditioning on in their home before it starts getting hot.
In a text message:What kind of power does that battery use? AC or DC?
Someone asks their friend what kind of power a specific battery uses.
On Facebook:AC for my 21st birthday!
Someone posts a Facebook status talking about going to Atlantic City, NJ for their 21st birthday where they can now legally drink and gamble at casinos.
On online conversation:Oh, you play DnD? What AC are you?
Someone finds out someone else plays Dungeons & Dragons and asks them what armor class their character is.
Who uses AC?
AC is typically used by younger people who spend more time on Instagram.
History of AC
First Use
We aren’t sure when the term was first used on Instagram. According to Google Trends, searches for “AC meaning instagram” began in 2015, and the term was first defined on Urban Dictionary to mean “audio credit” in 2016. The Urban Dictionary definition does note that it is “usually said in vine edits”, Vine being a social network that is no longer in operation.
Rise in Popularity
Searches for the phrase “AC meaning instagram” have increased since 2015, presumably just due to more and more people using the platform.
What was used before AC?
Before AC – and even after – people will just say something like “music credit” or “audio credit”.
Other Definitions of AC
AC can also mean:
- Air Conditioning
- Alternating Current
- Atlantic City
- Armor Class
Air Conditioning
AC is a very common abbreviation for air conditioning (or air conditioner).
Alternating Current
Similar to “direct current”, alternating current is a type of electrical current.
Atlantic City
Atlantic City is a city in New Jersey that is known for its casinos. It is often referred to as “AC”, just as New York City is “NY” or Los Angeles is “LA”.
Armor Class
In role playing games (RPGs) such as Dungeons & Dragons (DnD), AC means “armor class”.