Meanings
- 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 CNN1 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
plural ATFs
- abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableautomotiveInitialism of automatic transmission fluid.
Holonyms: automatic transmission < motor vehicle < vehicle
- USabbreviationcountableinitialismuncountablegovernmentInitialism of auxiliary tugboat fleet; a naval fleet tugboat, a fleet tug that can keep up with a fleet on operations
- abbreviationinitialismlawInitialism of as trustee for.
- 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
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
ATF. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ATF
“ATF.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ATF. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ATF,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ATF.
Source: ATF on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.