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• abv.
  abv.

  abbreviation

  above.
• ABV
  ABV

  abbreviation

  alcohol by volume: the amount of alcohol in a drink, expressed as a percentage of the total volume.

abv.

¹ American  

abbreviation

1. above.

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ABV ² American  

Or abv

abbreviation

1. alcohol by volume: the amount of alcohol in a drink, expressed as a percentage of the total volume.

   A 12-ounce can of beer with 5% ABV contains 0.6 ounces pure alcohol.

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ABV British  

abbreviation

1. alcohol by volume: the number of ml of ethyl alcohol present in each 100 ml of an alcoholic beverage when measured at 20°C; displayed on the packaging of alcoholic drinks in EU countries and used to calculate the amount of tax payable

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Etymology

Origin of ABV

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ABV

A federal lawsuit filed in Louisiana in 2021 alleged that Heineken USA misled buyers by marketing Heineken 0.0 as alcohol-free, despite having less than 0.03% ABV.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

He said that most of the top nonalcoholic beer brands in the U.S. have under 0.5% ABV, rather than zero alcohol.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

“The whole reason we have no ABV and low ABV cocktails is because of the younger generation,” Simonson says.

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025

Now, the government has confirmed it intends to lower the minimum ABV to 0% for all types of wine, following a consultation on the plans.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2023

Air at main reservoir pressure flows through the automatic brake valve to the connection marked "ABV" to chamber "d" under the diaphragm.

From The Traveling Engineers' Association To Improve The Locomotive Engine Service of American Railroads by Anonymous