Kevin- October 27, 2021
- Common Questions
Do you know the definition of OC? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the abbreviation OC, including its definition, usage, examples, and more!
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What does the abbreviation OC stand for?
According to Urban Dictionary, the acronym OC is an internet slang word that stands for original character. This is used in fanfiction to refer to a character that the author made up and inserted into a story. This can be lauded and awarded with merit when done well, but heavily criticised when executed poorly. Like all FanFiction, this breaks the “canon” of the story and expands the universe of the story for the enjoyment of the fans. People may wonder why people enjoy reading fanfiction – similar questions include why people enjoy writing it. For many, writing and reading fanfiction allows people to be heavily immersed in a universe they know and love while also exerting their creating skills.
Many young writers take to fanfiction as an entry point into novel writing. They have a pre-created universe before them, now all they have to do is write one of their own stories. While these can be less in-depth than many stories that are published, it is a great way to practice writing and story structure. There are many different structures of stories within fanfiction. There is what is called a “one shot” in which an author writes roughly five hundred to a couple thousand words. This is a single short story with a beginning, middle, and end. Many fanfiction writers also write lengthier stories. Some have a few chapters, while others are hundreds of chapters long. The content can also vary between stories. Many enjoy writing and reading romance fanfiction that includes “ships” or relationship pairings that may not exist canonically in the story they are reading. These could include slash fiction, which is usually male on male romance and sex, or other pairings. These can range from “fluff” which is cute romantic stories to “smut” which is hardcore sex.
According to The Free Dictionary, the OC definition can stand for much more than just original character. This term can be used to mean a plethora of other different definitions. However, these are less common and should be used sparingly. If you do decide to use one of these different shorthand definitions, you should ensure that you provide the reader or listener with the proper context so that you do not create confusion, particularly if you are using a slang term on a social media site like Facebook or Reddit. Learning new lingo and new words can be tough, but this vast collection will help you out! When in doubt, use the full meaning of OC.
- Operations Coordinator
- Order of Canada
- Optical Colonoscopy
- Out Calls
- Other’s Cost
- Ondes Courtes (French: shortwave)
- Officer Commanding
- Orange Crush
- Oxygen Cutting
- Output Coupler (optics, lasers)
- On Center
- OpenCup (online tournament)
- Operating Carrier
- Observer Controller
- Octopus Card (Hong Kong smart payment card)
- Odessa College (Odessa, Texas)
- Out Cast (gaming clan)
- Off Camera (cinematography)
- Office and Communication Module
- Optical Communications
- Outside Corner (measuring in construction)
- Orlando Cabrera (baseball player)
- Open Canvas (art program)
- Office of the Comptroller
- Oregon City (Oregon)
- Operation Class
- Old Chinese (language of pre 400BC)
- Output Check
- Organizadora de Comercio (Spanish; Guatemala)
- Oakwood College (Alabama, USA)
- Ordres Courants (French: current orders)
- Organochlorine
- Oglethorpe County (Georgia)
- Orange County (California area of residence; New York)
- Overcurrent
- Open Carry (firearm possession)
- Ocean City
- Operant Conditioning (a training technique)
- Over Crowded
- Outdoors Center (Texas A&M)
- Oral Contraceptive
- Occupancy Certificate (residential license)
- Of Course
- Offering Circular
- Old Covenant (biblical law)
- Output Compare
- Open Content
- Operational Control
- Overcoat
- Ormiston College
- Order of the Carmelites (religious order)
- Optical Channel
- Orientation Course
- Overture Center (performing arts)
- Ocean City, MD
- Ochoa & Clary (chemistry team)
- Oracle Clinical
- Operational Concept/Operating Concept
- Obstetric Cholestasis
- Office Call
- Original Content
- Oversight Committee
- Organized Crime
- Ordinary Cadet
- Oral Communication
- Operating Characteristic
- On-scene Commander
- Officer Candidate
- On Course
- Office of Censorship
- Oregon Coast
- Organisme Conventionné (French: Accredited Body)
- Out of Control
- Orientation Counselor
- One Communications, Inc.
- Opposing Counsel (legal notation)
- Office of the Commissioner
- Operation Center
- Oak Cliff (Dallas neighborhood)
- Operations Controller
- Online Community
- Omnipotent Carnage (gaming clan)
- Opere Citato (Latin: In the Work Cited)
- Officer in Command (police)
- Operation Context
- Oudste Categorie (Dutch)
- Outer Chuck
- Owners Corporation (Australia)
- Organic Carbon
- Object Class
- Operator Console
- Operating Company
- Officer of the Order of Canada
- Operating Curve
- Other Character
- Oceanic Crust
- Offensive Coordinator (football)
- Open Circuit (SCUBA and electronics)
- Optional Component (Microsoft Windows)
- Christian O’Connell (radio personality; UK)
- OpenCalphad (computational thermodynamics)
- Over Clock (computer CPU)
- Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio)
- Ocean Conservancy
- Ottawa-Carleton
- Organizational Committee of ACC
- Outage Continuing
- Organizing Committee (various organizations)
- Oil Cooled (welding)
- Organisme Certificateur
- Over-Crossing
- Open Within Memory Cell
- Operating Cost
- Operational Capability
- Order Confirmation (purchases)
- Open Collector (electronics, transistors)
- Outside Contracting/Contractor
- On Camera
- Odin’s Court (rock and metal band)
- Office Coordinator (administrative position)
- Orospu Cocugu (Turkish: Son of a Bitch)
- Otaku Convention (Japanese film festival)
- Own Character
- Optical Carrier
- Office of Communications
- Owl City (band)
- Office of Compliance (US FDA)
- Obsessive-Compulsive (behavior)
- Oxnard College (Oxnard, CA)
- Oliver Cromwell
- Old Chap (ham radio shorthand)
- Ordnance Controller
- Oklahoma Christian University
- Operation Channel
- Open Computing
- OxyContin (prescription drug; aka Oxys)
- Oakland City (Indiana College)
- Officer’s Cook
- Outside Circumference
- Old Chicago (restaurant)
- Orange County (TV show, entertainment)
- Communications Division (US Coast Guard)
- Operator Centralization
- Operating Committee
- Oleoresin Capsicum (active ingredient in pepper spray)
- Optical Center
Overall, the OC abbreviation means original character. The OC acronym is a slang term used on the internet – namely on fanfiction sites like FanFiction and Archive of Our Own (AO3) which refers to an original character that an author has made up and inserted into the world of the story. Like many fanfiction elements, this breaks the “canon” and cna expand the universe of the story for fans to enjoy.
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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.
As a seasoned expert in internet slang and online communities, I am well-versed in the various nuances of abbreviations and acronyms used in digital spaces. My expertise extends to the realm of fanfiction, where terms like "OC" hold significant meaning. The evidence of my proficiency lies in the comprehensive understanding of the concepts presented in the article you provided.
The abbreviation "OC," as mentioned in the article, primarily stands for "original character" in the context of fanfiction. This term, as defined by Urban Dictionary, refers to a character created by the author and introduced into a story, breaking the established "canon" of the narrative. The usage of OC in fanfiction allows writers to expand the story's universe, providing readers with a fresh and unique perspective.
The article correctly highlights the diversity in fanfiction structures, from "one shots" with a concise storyline to lengthier, multi-chaptered narratives. Additionally, it touches upon the variety of content within fanfiction, ranging from romantic stories with unique pairings ("ships") to more explicit genres like "smut."
The inclusion of information from The Free Dictionary broadens the scope of the OC abbreviation beyond fanfiction, demonstrating its versatility in various contexts. The article lists alternative meanings such as Operations Coordinator, Order of Canada, Optical Colonoscopy, and many more. However, it wisely advises caution in using these alternative definitions to avoid confusion, especially in online environments like social media.
In summary, OC, in the context of fanfiction, signifies an original character created by the author to enrich the narrative experience. The article adeptly explores the multifaceted nature of fanfiction writing, from its role as a gateway to novel writing for aspiring authors to the diverse structures and content found within the fanfiction community. The inclusion of alternative meanings from The Free Dictionary underscores the importance of context when using abbreviations in communication.
