PCT

What Does PCT Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

PCT means "Pacific Crest Trail," "Patent Cooperation Treaty," and "Percent."

Pacific Crest Trail

In the context of outdoor recreation and hiking, PCT often refers to the "Pacific Crest Trail," a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles east of the US Pacific coast. The PCT is one of the most significant trail systems in the US and is often referred to as part of the "Triple Crown" of long-distance hiking, along with the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) and Appalachian Trail (AT).

Patent Cooperation Treaty

In legal and international contexts, PCT can refer to the "Patent Cooperation Treaty," an international patent law treaty that provides a unified procedure for filing patent applications.

Percent

In chat relating to mathematics or statistics, PCT (or Pct or pct) can be shorthand for "percent."

Image for PCT

When I write PCT, I mean this:

Context is crucial to understanding the meaning of the abbreviation PCT.

Summary of Key Points for the First Definition

"Pacific Crest Trail" is, by far, the most common meaning for PCT when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)

PCT
Definition:	Pacific Crest Trail
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Summary of Key Points for the Second Definition

"Patent Cooperation Treaty" is another common definition for PCT.

PCT
Definition:	Patent Cooperation Treaty
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	5: Extremely difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Specialists

Summary of Key Points for the Third Definition

"Percent" is yet another common definition for PCT.

PCT
Definition:	Percent
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	2: Quite easy to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

When used with the meanings "Pacific Crest Trail" or "Patent Cooperation Treaty," PCT is classified as an initialism. Initialisms are abbreviations pronounced one letter at a time. When used with the meaning "percent," pct is a shortened version of the actual word, therefore it is a contraction. Contractions can be formed formed in a number of ways, including:

• Omitting letters from the word (e.g., pct, obv from obviously).
• Using letters from the start and end of the word (e.g., Dr from Doctor).
• Using an apostrophe to replace a letter or letters (e.g., don't from do not, can't from cannot).

Example of PCT Used in a Text

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