AAVE

American  

abbreviation

1. African American Vernacular English.

---

AAVE British  

abbreviation

1. African-American Vernacular English

---

Usage

African American Vernacular English is a designation used by linguists to describe a North American dialect of English used by some Black people. Like older names for this dialect, the full term is usually used only once or twice to introduce it in writing or speech; thereafter the abbreviation (AAVE) is used, with the result that the abbreviation is far more common than the expanded form, especially in the fields of linguistics, sociolinguistics, and sociology.

Example Sentences

She no longer had to blend in or prove herself to people who would look down on her for speaking AAVE, she said.

From Washington Post • Aug. 17, 2022

A few weeks ago, Celsius owed nearly $650 million to the platforms Maker, AAVE, Notional Finance and Compound, collateralized by about $1.6 billion in crypto.

From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2022

AAVE, also referred to as Black English Vernacular or Ebonics, is a generalized term for a variety of dialects spoken by Black Americans.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

“She chonk” becomes problematic when the word “is” is removed because such phrasing also is used in AAVE.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2018

In predominantly black areas like east Palo Alto and Oakland, California, Baugh made slightly more viewing appointments when he used AAVE, compared to standard English or Chicano English.

From Slate • Jul. 20, 2018