PC Meaning
Last Updated:What does PC mean?
PC means Photo Credit. It could also mean Personal Computer, Politically Correct, or Picture Credit.
On this page:
PC is an initialism that stands for “photo credit” or “picture credit” that is often used on Instagram.
PC also stands for “personal computer” and “politically correct”.
Where is PC used?
PC is frequently used on Instagram to mean “photo credit”, but it’s also used on other social networks where users post photos, like Twitter and Facebook.
When used to mean other things, PC is used much more broadly.
PC is used on the follow platforms and places:
- IRL
- texting
- online conversation
- Discord
- Twitch
- YouTube
How is PC used?
PC is used to credit other people for taking photos that you post on social media (usually Instagram). For example, if you friend takes a photo of you surfing, you might post it with a caption like “Had fun surfing today! pc: @friend” where you give your friend credit for taking the photo.
When used to mean “personal computer”, PC basically just means computer (that has a Windows operating system). For example, a coworker might tell “Try viewing the document on your PC” when they want to tell you to look at a document on the computer rather than on your phone.
When PC is used to mean “politically correct”, it is often in the context of some political discussion or observation about societal trends. For example, you might hear a classmate sigh and say something like “Ugh, I can’t even say that word today! Everyone is so PC!”.
Do people say PC out loud?
When meaning “photo credit”, people do not say PC out loud. It is common to hear people say “PC” when talking about personal computers or political correctness, though. In fact, we suspect that the term “PC” is said much more frequently than “personal computer”.
Example Uses of PC
New outfit! PC: @friend #fashion #style
Someone posts a photo to Instagram of them wearing a new outfit and gives their friend credit for taking the photo.
I love our wedding photos! PC: @weddingphotographer
Someone shares photographs from their wedding on Instagram, giving credit to the photographer.
On Instagram:Awesome shot of the 911 last night. pc: @friend
Someone posts a cool photo of their car on Instagram and gives credit to their friend for taking the photo.
On Instagram:Had fun yesterday! pc @mate
Someone posts a photo their friend took of them yesterday, giving them credit for taking the photo.
On Instagram:Another marathon down! PC: @photographer
Someone posts a photo to Instagram of them running a marathon. They tag the person who took the photo.
On Discord:How much did you spend on your PC?
Someone asks their friend how much they spent to build their custom computer.
On Facebook:OMG, I'm so tired of being PC!!!
Someone says they are tired of being politically correct.
Who uses PC?
When meaning “photo credit”, the term seems to be used most often by younger people who use Instagram and grew up using abbreviations and acronyms when chatting online.
With other definitions, PC seems to be used by a much broader subset of the population.
History of PC
First Use
According to Google Tends, searches for “PC meaning Instagram” first started in 2010, so it was probably a little while before then that the term was first used.
Of course, the initialism PC first meant “personal computer” and was first used well before the idea for Instagram was even conceived.
Rise in Popularity
Searches for the meaning of PC on Instagram have been increasing each year, according to Google Trends.
What was used before PC?
Before PC, people may have just said something like “photo credit” or “photographer”.
Other Definitions of PC
PC can also mean:
- Personal Computer
- Politically Correct
- Picture Credit
Personal Computer
The most popular meaning of PC is probably “personal computer”, which is basically any desktop or laptop computer. While a computer is technically a PC regardless of the operating system it runs, computers running Windows are typically referred to as “PCs” and computers running MacOS are typically referred to as “Macs”.
Politically Correct
PC also stands for “politically correct”. Since more and more people have started discussing politics online, this term seems to have increased in popularity.
Picture Credit
Same thing as photo credit.