What does the acronym ETA stand for?
According to Cyber Definitions, Dictionary, and other English dictionary apps, the acronym ETA stands for estimated time of arrival. This is a very common phrase that is frequently seen in many forms of text based communication as well as spoken aloud. This term is often used to ask someone when they think they are going to arrive at a previously agreed upon location. This can either be responded to with an exact time, or with a range of time. For example, if someone asks another person when they are going to arrive to pick them up, they could say, “My GPS says my ETA is 7:05” or they could say, “My ETA is 15 minutes.” This slang term initialism is often seen in text messaging and on social media.
When it is not used as an acronym, eta, pronounced “ˈiːtə” is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet. According to NASA, Eta Carinae is also a stellar system within 10,000 lightyears of Earth.
According to The Free Dictionary, the abbreviation ETA also has numerous other definitions other than estimated time of arrival. While these definitions are still valid, they are less common, so if you decide to use one of these make sure that the context is clear. When using an acronym that has many different meanings, it can be confusing for the recipient, so make sure that you provide proper context before using acronyms like ETA.
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- Eelam Tamil Association (Sydney, Australia)
- Electronics Technicians Association (Greencastle, IN)
- Egyptian Tourist Authority
- Engineering Test Article
- Enterprise Transaction Archive
- Effective Tax Administration
- Esteem Team Association (Canada)
- Embedded Transport Acceleration (Int el)
- Edited to Add
- Elegance, Technology Accuracy (Swiss manufacturer)
- Electronic Travel Aid
- Event Tree Analysis
- Eesti Teadeteagentuur (Estonian News Agency)
- Environmental Technical Assistance (various organizations)
- European Technical Approval
- Emirate Trading Agency (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
- Extraterrestrial Artifact
- European Tropospheric-Scatter Army (communications system)
- Early Termination Fee (contracts)
- Experience the Adventure
- European Tugowners’ Association
- Estimated Time Allocation (project management)
- Efficiency, Transparency and Accountability (US DOI Bureau of Reclamation)
- Expected Time of Arrival
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- Electronic Transfer Account
- Engineering Technologies Associates
- Ethiopian Teachers’ Association (Education International)
- Expected Turn Around
- Exception Time Accounting
- Electronic Target Acquisition (also sometimes abbreviated as E/TA)
- Educational Therapy Assistant
- Ethanolamine (organic chemical compound)
- Engineering Technologies Academy
- Eastern Training Area
- Extract, Transform, Load
- Environmental Transport Association (UK)
- Extraterrestrial Activity
- Exploring the Arts (est. 1999)
- Enterprise Technical Architecture (various organizations)
- Earthville Travel Adventures
- Environmental Test Article (US NASA)
- Evan Terry Associates, PC (Birmingham, AL)
- Emergency Tire Assistance
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- European Thyroid Association
- Electronic Transactions Act
- External Tank Attack
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- Experimental Test Accelerator
- Electro-Thermal Atomizer
- Event Tracking Agent
- Ellenville Teachers Association
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- Easy Tech Answers (Lansing, MI)
- Elgin Teachers Association
- Enterprise Transaction Analysis
- Executive Trade Associates
- Electronic Tax Administration
- Explosive Transfer Assembly
- Extra Terrestrial Alien
- Environmental Transport Association
- Estaciones de Tiempo Automatizadas (Spanish: Automated Weather Stations)
- Embroidery Trade Association
- Evangelical Training Association
- Entertainment Technology Alliance
- Employment and Training Administration (US Department of Labor)
- Eternal Allegiance (fan site)
- Engineering Task Assignment
- Estimated Transmitting Ability (cow breeding)
- Electronic Test Automation
- Energy Technology Assessment
- Electronic Transactions Association
- Emergency Transport Attendant
- Eu Te Amo (Portuguese: I Love You)
- Exfoliative Toxin A (microbiology)
- English Teaching Assistantship (US State Department)
- Essential Tactical Advantage (Oxford, MI)
- Estação de Tratamento de Água (Portuguese: Water Treatment Plant)
- Executive Travel Associates
- EOOW Training Assistant
- Erosion Transport Accumulation
- Evangelische Theologische Academie (Dutch: Evangelical Theological Academy; Netherlands)
- E-Sektionens Teletekniska Avdelning
- Equal Treatment Act (various nations)
- Electronics Test Area
- Emergency Towing Arrangement (requirement at forward & aft ends of oil tanker)
- Extension Travel Adjustment (Marzocchi bicycle forks)
- Eicosatetraenoic Acid (biochemistry)
- Exact Time of Arrival
- External Tank Attachment
- Engineering Technical Assistant
- Electronic Travel Authority
- Etnoteam Adriatica
- Educational Theater Association (Ohio)
- English Teachers Association
- Energy Tax Act
- Electronic Transportation Acquisition
- Enfield Tennis Academy (fictional school; Infinite Jest)
- Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Basque Homeland and Liberty; organization of militant Basque nationalists; separatist group and terrorist group in Spain)
- Estimated Time for Accomplishment
How can the abbreviation ETA be used in a sentence?
The abbreviation ETA can be used in numerous different sentences to discuss when someone might arrive somewhere. In this first example, Penny texts Rachel about her arrival time.
Penny: Hey Rach! What’s your ETA? We should get going soon if we want to find good parking.
Rachel: Yes! Just leaving my house now, will be at your place in about 10 minutes!
Penny: Perfect! I’ll be waiting outside. Can’t wait!
Here, Penny uses the phrase ETA to ask rAchel when she thinks she will arrive at her house so that they can leave for the event. In this next example, Penny and Rachel are on their way to the event.
Penny: My GPS says our ETA is 7:45. You don’t think that will be a problem, do you? The show starts at 8. I’m worried about finding parking and finding our seats in time.
Rachel: No need to worry. The show doesn’t really start at 8, because they know people aren’t going to even get there until 8.
Overall, the abbreviation ETA is most commonly used to stand for estimated time of arrival. This is a very common, useful phrase that is used to communicate with others when one might arrive at a previously agreed upon location. This phrase is commonly seen in text messaging, but is also sometimes spoken aloud. IT does not have the same casual, informal connotation as other acronyms like LOL, BRB, and OMG.
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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
