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EC

1 American  
  1. European Community.


ec- 2 American  
  1. variant of ex- before a consonant.

    eccentric.


e.c. 3 American  

abbreviation

  1. for the sake of example.


E.C. 4 American  

abbreviation

  1. Engineering Corps.

  2. Established Church.


EC 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. European Community (now subsumed within the European Union)

  2. (in London postal code) East Central

  3. Ecuador (international car registration)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ec- 2 British  

combining form

  1. out from; away from

    ecbolic

    eccentric

    ecdysis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ec 3 British  

abbreviation

  1. Ecuador

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of e.c.

From Latin exemplī causā

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This prolonged release is strong enough to activate EC cells and send signals to the brain.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

When acetylcholine was introduced to lab-grown gut tissue containing EC cells, those cells responded by releasing serotonin.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

The EC will also examine the transparency of so-called "recommender systems" which use a shopper's data to push certain products their way.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

“Consumer confidence remained well below its long-term average,” the EC said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

But gradually during his first year as EC, he began to tire of the never-ending discussions about these matters.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson