The Ultimate Guide To March’s Abbreviation: Why ‘Mar.’ Is Often Wrong (and When It’s Right)

The abbreviation for the month of March is a surprisingly controversial topic in the world of professional writing and data formatting, and the most common answer you find online is often incorrect depending on the context. As of December 15, 2025, the standard three-letter abbreviation is Mar., but a critical, up-to-date rule from major style guides like the Associated Press (AP) dictates that March should never be abbreviated in general text, even when a specific date follows. This unique rule applies because March is a short, five-letter month, creating a significant point of confusion for students, journalists, and business professionals alike.

The correct usage is entirely dependent on the style guide you are following—whether you are writing a financial report, an academic paper, or a news article. Understanding these subtle but mandatory differences is crucial for maintaining topical authority and credibility in your documentation. We will explore the three main formats for March’s abbreviation, from the universally accepted technical standard to the strict rules of modern journalism.

The Conflicting Style Guides: When to Use 'Mar.' and When to Spell it Out

The confusion surrounding the abbreviation of March stems from a fundamental conflict between different professional writing standards. While many months, like January (Jan.), February (Feb.), and December (Dec.), are consistently abbreviated across the board, March falls into a special category of short months that are almost always spelled out in full.

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The AP Style Rule: Always Spell Out March

In journalism, corporate communications, and most general publishing, the gold standard is the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook.

• The Rule: Do not abbreviate the months March, April, May, June, and July, even when they are used with a specific date.
• Correct Example (AP Style): The event is scheduled for March 15, 2026.
• Incorrect Example (AP Style): The event is scheduled for Mar. 15, 2026.
• The Rationale: The rationale is simplicity and readability. Since March, April, May, June, and July are all short months (four or five letters), abbreviating them saves very little space and can sometimes cause confusion. In contrast, longer months like September (Sept.) and November (Nov.) are abbreviated when a date is present.

The MLA/Chicago Style Rule: 'Mar.' is Acceptable in Citations

Academic and technical writing, particularly in fields using the Modern Language Association (MLA) or Chicago style guides, often requires a different approach.

• The Rule: In citations, footnotes, and bibliographic entries where space is limited, the three-letter abbreviation Mar. (with a period) is acceptable and often required.
• Correct Example (MLA Citation): Doe, Jane. The History of Spring. New York: Academic Press, 15 Mar. 2024.
• The Rationale: These styles prioritize conciseness in reference lists. The three-letter format (Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sep./Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.) is a standard tool for reducing the length of a bibliography entry.

The Technical/Financial Standard: 'MAR' (No Period)

In highly technical, data-driven, or financial contexts, you will often encounter an unpunctuated, all-caps abbreviation.

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• The Rule: The abbreviation is MAR (without a period). This is often seen in spreadsheets, financial reports, military documents, and database entries where consistency and machine readability are paramount.
• Example: Project Start Date: 2026-MAR-01.
• The Rationale: The lack of a period prevents parsing errors in software and databases, ensuring all month abbreviations are uniform (e.g., JAN, FEB, MAR).

The Deep Dive: March’s Historical and Technical Entities

To fully grasp the significance of March’s name and its abbreviation, it’s helpful to explore its origins and its place in international standards. This provides the topical authority necessary to truly understand the month's unique standing.

The Biography of March: From Martius to Modernity

March holds a special place in the calendar’s history, which explains why its name is so short and why some style guides resist abbreviation. Its history can be summarized in key entities:

• Original Name: Martius
• Origin: The month was named after the Roman God of War, Mars.
• Original Calendar Position: In the earliest Roman calendar (before the Julian and Gregorian Calendars), Martius was the first month of the year, not the third. This marked the beginning of the campaigning season for the military.
• Length: 31 days.
• Key Association: The arrival of Spring (Vernal Equinox).

The introduction of January and February by Numa Pompilius (the second king of Rome) around 700 BC shifted March to the third position, but its short, powerful name remained. This five-letter length is the primary reason for the "no abbreviation" rule in modern journalism.

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ISO 8601: The International Numeric Standard

For a truly universal, non-confusing way to represent March, the international standard for date and time notation, ISO 8601, completely bypasses abbreviations. This is the ultimate technical entity for date formatting.

• The Standard: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day).
• March’s Numeric Code: 03
• Example (March 15, 2026): 2026-03-15
• The Rationale: ISO 8601 eliminates all linguistic ambiguity, ensuring that a date written in the United States (MM/DD/YYYY) is not confused with one written in Europe (DD/MM/YYYY). This standard is the preferred format for global business, scientific data, and computer programming.

Avoiding Common Mistakes: March, April, May, June, and July

The most common error when dealing with month abbreviations is treating March the same way as longer months like August or September. This mistake immediately signals a lack of adherence to professional style guides.

The group of months that should never be abbreviated in AP Style is a critical entity set to memorize:

1. March (5 letters)
2. April (5 letters)
3. May (3 letters)
4. June (4 letters)
5. July (4 letters)

The rule of thumb is simple: if the month name is five letters or less, you should always spell it out in full in journalistic and general text. Only when you move to the six-letter months and beyond (August, September, October, November, December, January, February) does the abbreviation rule apply, and only when a specific date is included.

LSI Keywords and Entities for Topical Authority

The topic of March's abbreviation is deeply intertwined with several related entities that enhance the content's topical authority:

• Style Guides: Associated Press (AP), Modern Language Association (MLA), Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS).
• Technical Formats: ISO 8601, Numeric Date Format, YYYY-MM-DD.
• Related Months: January (Jan.), February (Feb.), April, May, June, July, August (Aug.), September (Sept.), October (Oct.), November (Nov.), December (Dec.).
• Historical Context: Martius, Roman Calendar, God Mars, Julian Calendar, Gregorian Calendar.
• Usage Contexts: Academic Writing, Financial Documents, Journalism, Bibliographic Entries, Dateline.

By using the full name, March, you avoid the confusion of the abbreviation Mar. in 90% of your daily writing, reserving the shortened form only for highly technical or citation-specific contexts. The key takeaway remains: when in doubt, spell it out. This is the freshest, most authoritative rule for the month of March in modern English communication.