ba

IPA/ˌbiː ˈeɪ/

KK[bˌiˈe]IPA/ˌbiː ˈeɪ/

basingular
basplural

1.nounB1

Definition

A university qualification given to students who finish a course of study in subjects such as literature, history, or sociology. The letters BA can also refer to someone who has earned this degree.

Example

Farida has a BA in History from the University of Sussex.

pattern: have a BA in [subject]

Dario earned his BA in Economics and now works at a bank in Milan.

collocation: earn a BA in [subject]

Common collocations

BA in
earn a BA
hold a BA
BA graduate
BA degree
complete a BA

Synonyms

Bachelor of Arts
the full form that BA abbreviates; more formal
first degree
a more general term for any undergraduate qualification

Antonyms

BSc
a Bachelor of Science degree, focused on scientific subjects rather than arts or social sciences

Grammar Patterns

have/get/earn a BA in [subject]

Common Mistakes

I finished my BA degree in History.

I finished my BA in History.

'BA' already includes the idea of a degree, so 'degree' is redundant.

1.abbreviationB2

Definition

The written symbol for barium, a soft silver-white metal from group 2 of the periodic table. In scientific writing, Ba is used in chemical formulas and equations.

Example

On the periodic table, Ba stands for barium, a soft silvery metal.

pattern: Ba stands for [element name]

The chemistry teacher asked Eli to name the element with the symbol Ba.

Common collocations

symbol Ba
element Ba
Ba stands for
labelled Ba

Synonyms

barium
the full name of the element; used in ordinary language

Usage Note

Used only in scientific and technical writing. In chemistry problems and lab reports, Ba appears as the abbreviation for barium in formulas such as BaSO₄ (barium sulfate).

Common Mistakes

The patient was given Ba before the scan.' (when meaning barium as a substance)

The patient was given barium before the scan.

Ba is a written symbol, not a spoken abbreviation for the substance itself.

2.abbreviationC1

Definition

A short form used in medical records and reports for bronchial asthma, a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe.

Example

The doctor wrote BA in Heather's medical file to note her bronchial asthma.

usage: BA in medical records

Patients with severe BA are told to keep an inhaler with them at all times.

Common collocations

diagnosed with BA
BA patient
severe BA
BA treatment

Synonyms

bronchial asthma
the full medical term; BA is the written abbreviation

Usage Note

Almost exclusively found in clinical notes, medical databases, and specialist publications. Not used in everyday conversation or general writing.

3.abbreviationB1

Definition

Written abbreviation for Bachelor of Arts, used after a person's name to show that they hold this university degree.

Example

Heather Wu, BA, was invited to speak at the education conference in Taipei.

pattern: [Name], BA — title after a name

The nameplate on the office door read Dario Kim, BA.

Common collocations

Name, BA
letters BA
BA or BSc

Synonyms

Bachelor of Arts
the full form; BA is the written abbreviation

Usage Note

Distinguish from the noun sense: abbreviation/3 refers to the letters BA used as a title following a name (e.g. in signatures or official lists), while the noun sense refers to the degree as a qualification (e.g. 'She has a BA').

Common Mistakes

She is a BA of History.

She has a BA in History.

BA is a degree title, not attached with 'of' in this pattern.

4.abbreviationC1

Definition

A number in baseball that shows how often a player gets a hit when they go up to bat. It is calculated by dividing the number of hits by the number of at-bats.

Example

Baraka led the team with a BA of .312 for the entire season.

pattern: BA of [decimal number]

In professional baseball, a BA of .300 or higher is considered very good.

Common collocations

BA of
player's BA
BA dropped
BA rose
career BA

Synonyms

batting average
the full term; BA is the standard written abbreviation

Usage Note

Common in baseball commentary, sports journalism, and player statistics. The full term 'batting average' is more frequent in spoken language; BA is typical in written tables and scoreboards.

Common Mistakes

His BA this season is 312.

His BA this season is .312.

Batting average is always written as a decimal with a leading zero.

5.abbreviationB1

Definition

An informal written abbreviation for Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina.

Example

The flight from Madrid to BA takes about twelve hours.

pattern: travel to/from BA

Eli moved to BA to study tango dancing at a local academy in San Telmo.

Common collocations

to BA
from BA
in BA
BA airport
BA Argentina

Synonyms

Buenos Aires
the full city name; BA is an informal abbreviation

Usage Note

Found mainly in travel writing, informal notes, and logistics labels. In formal writing, the city name is usually spelled out in full.

Word family

Bachelor of Arts
nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

BA and Bachelor of Arts are interchangeable in meaning, but BA is the written abbreviation while Bachelor of Arts is the formal full title used in official documents and graduation ceremonies. A first degree is a broader term that covers any initial university qualification (including BA, BSc, and BEng) and does not distinguish between arts and science subjects. Undergraduate degree is the most general term of the four, referring to any degree earned before a master's or doctorate; it is commonly used in admissions contexts. For example, you would say 'She is applying for an undergraduate degree in History' before narrowing down to whether it is a BA or a BSc.

BA ↗Bachelor of Artsfirst degreeundergraduate degree

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

BA is an initialism formed from the first letters of Bachelor of Arts, a Latin-derived academic title. Bachelor comes from the Medieval Latin baccalarius, referring to a junior scholar, while Arts traces back to the Latin artes, meaning skills or fields of study. The abbreviation has been in use since the 19th century as English universities standardised their degree titles.

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ba

ba — noun

1. A university qualification given to students who finish a course of study in sub

Grammar Patterns

Common Mistakes

ba — abbreviation

1. The written symbol for barium, a soft silver-white metal from group 2 of the per

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. A short form used in medical records and reports for bronchial asthma, a long-te

Usage Note

3. Written abbreviation for Bachelor of Arts, used after a person's name to show th

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

4. A number in baseball that shows how often a player gets a hit when they go up to

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

5. An informal written abbreviation for Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina

Usage Note

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

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