UTC

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the phrase "UTC" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to Coordinated Universal Time, which is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. Example: "The meeting is scheduled for 15:00 UTC, so please adjust your local time accordingly."

✓ Grammatically correct

Encyclopedias

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

54 human-written examples

The unit of UTC is the atomic second, and UTC is widely broadcast by radio signals.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The European Commission was no doubt helped by the fact that, by the time its investigation was under way in March, GE/Honeywell's competitors, notably UTC and a fellow American company, Rockwell Collins, had woken up and mustered strong arguments against the deal.

The Economist

With Mars Express, the European Space Agency's craft, also passing close to Phobos in 2011, all this interest in a previously obscure moon will lead to speculation about human missions there.A high point will come on March 18th at 12.45am UTC (Co-ordinated Universal Time), when NASA's Messenger spacecraft will insert itself into orbit around the planet Mercury.

The Economist

But there is little doubt that Honeywell is in worse shape than if it had taken the less ambitious option of merging with UTC.

The Economist

Around 30 construction executives are now awaiting trial on charges of corruption or money-laundering, including the boss of UTC Engenharia, Brazil's seventh-biggest builder.

The Economist

This week it emerged that C.R. Almeida, a second-tier construction firm, is eyeing stakes in airport projects, including some still under construction, owned by UTC Engenharia and OAS.So far, foreign construction giants are not rushing in to fill the void left by collapsing domestic ones.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

6 human-written examples

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation Melanoma Research; 12902 Magnolia Drive, UTC-FOND, Tampa, FL, 33612.

The New York Times

UTC@harbourside is part of a drive that will see the number of UTCs increase by 11 to 37, including at sites in Bolton, Derby, Medway, Oxfordshire, Salford, Scunthorpe, South Devon, South Wiltshire and the West Midlands.

Independent

And so, in 2008, the port authority helped to orchestrate a $10.6m deal with Connecticut's UTC Power to provide nine fuel cells to supply power to three main towers, including One World Trade.

The Guardian

He postponed his retirement by eight months as a condition for winning Honeywell's approval of his last-minute trumping of a bid from United Technologies UTCC), another American electronics and engineering group.

The Economist

Some big suppliers to the armed forces, such as Boeing and UTC the owner of Pratt & Whitney, a maker of aero-engines already haero-engines alreadylian sides (see chave 2).

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always specify "UTC" when indicating the time for international events or deadlines to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Common error

Don't assume that "UTC" is perfectly interchangeable with GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). While closely related, "UTC" is based on atomic clocks and may differ slightly from GMT due to leap seconds.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "UTC" is as a noun, specifically an initialism standing for Coordinated Universal Time. As seen in Ludwig's examples, it's used to denote a time standard.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Encyclopedias

30%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "UTC" is an initialism for Coordinated Universal Time, the international standard for civil and scientific time. Ludwig AI confirms it's grammatically correct and commonly used, especially in encyclopedias and news media. When writing about time, using "UTC" ensures clarity, particularly for international audiences. While sometimes used interchangeably with GMT, remember that "UTC" is based on atomic clocks and more precise. For alternatives, consider "Coordinated Universal Time" or, informally but less accurately, "Greenwich Mean Time".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Coordinated universal time

Expands the initialism to its full form.

Universal coordinated time

Reorders the words while keeping the exact meaning.

Greenwich mean time

Is a historical predecessor, though not precisely the same.

Zulu time

Military term for UTC.

International atomic time

Related to atomic clocks' role in UTC.

World time

Broader concept, encompasses all time zones.

Standard time

Refers to local standard time, relative to UTC.

Time standard

A general term for a system of measuring time.

Civil time

Refers to time used in daily life.

Local time

Time specific to a geographical region, offset from UTC.

FAQs

What does "UTC" stand for?

"UTC" stands for Coordinated Universal Time, the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time.

How do I use "UTC" in a sentence?

You can use "UTC" to specify a particular time without reference to a specific time zone. For example: "The meeting will begin at 14:00 "UTC"".

What is the difference between "UTC" and Greenwich Mean Time?

"UTC" is based on atomic clocks, while Greenwich Mean Time is based on the Earth's rotation. While they are very similar, "UTC" is more precise and may differ slightly from GMT due to leap seconds.

What can I say instead of "UTC"?

Depending on the context, you could use "Coordinated Universal Time" or, in some informal settings, "Greenwich Mean Time", although the latter is not technically correct.