ATF

A1T1F4

A form of alcohol — Any of a class of organic compounds (such as ethanol) containing a hydroxyl functional group (-OH).

Similar
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
Less commonScrabble 6

Meanings

proper noun
  1. USabbreviationinitialismgovernmentInitialism of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives).

    According to the ATF, gun makers began cranking out 2.4 million rifles annually in Obama’s first term – a 52 percent increase from the previous four years of the Bush administration.

    2017 December 14, David Heath, Elise Hansen and AJ Willingham, CNN Design: Joyce Tseng, “How an ‘ugly,’ unwanted weapon became the most popular rifle in America”, in CNN
    1 more example

    During Tuesday’s ceremony at the ATF headquarters, Dettelbach said being sworn in as the agency’s director is the “single greatest honor of my professional life” but also that it is “most certainly the greatest professional challenge of my life.”

    2022 July 19, Hannah Rabinowitz and Veronica Stracqualursi, “Steve Dettelbach sworn in to lead ATF after 7 years of acting directors”, in CNN
nounATF (countable and uncountable, plural ATFs)

plural ATFs

  1. abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableautomotiveInitialism of automatic transmission fluid.

    Holonyms: automatic transmission < motor vehicle < vehicle

  2. abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableaeronauticsInitialism of aviation turbine fuel: jet fuel.
  3. USabbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableaeronauticsInitialism of advanced tactical fighter.
  4. USabbreviationcountableinitialismuncountablegovernmentInitialism of auxiliary tugboat fleet; a naval fleet tugboat, a fleet tug that can keep up with a fleet on operations
phrase
  1. abbreviationinitialismlawInitialism of as trustee for.
prepositional phrase
  1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of after the fact.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe law enforcement and tax collection agency of the Treasury Department that enforces federal laws concerning alcohol and tobacco products and firearms and explosives and arson

Similar
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms
Broader
law enforcement agency
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

ATF. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ATF

MLA

“ATF.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ATF. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ATF,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ATF.

Source: ATF on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.