noun

ADC

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ADC (noun) means In multiplayer online battle arena games such as League of Legends, the attack damage carry: the ranged character who deals sustained physical damage and is expected to become the team's main damage dealer late in the game. Also the bottom lane role that character plays. Example: “He mains ADC and refuses to play anything but bot lane.”

noun

gaming In multiplayer online battle arena games such as League of Legends, the attack damage carry: the ranged character who deals sustained physical damage and is expected to become the team's main damage dealer late in the game. Also the bottom lane role that character plays.

"He mains ADC and refuses to play anything but bot lane."

"Our ADC was fed by twenty minutes and the game was over."

technical An analog-to-digital converter: a circuit that turns a continuously varying signal, such as a voltage from a microphone or sensor, into numbers a computer can process.

"The board has a 12-bit ADC, so each reading lands somewhere between 0 and 4095."

medical An antibody-drug conjugate: a cancer treatment in which a toxic drug is chemically attached to an antibody that delivers it to tumour cells.

"Several ADCs are now approved for HER2-positive breast cancer."

military An aide-de-camp: a military officer who acts as personal assistant to a senior officer or head of state.

"The general's ADC carried the despatches."

How to use ADC

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDepends on context: a damage-dealing character in a game, or a chip that turns real-world signals into numbers.

When to use it

Neutral within each field. Never spell it out in gaming chat; always define it on first use in technical writing.

Memory tip

Judge the meaning by who is talking: gamers mean the bot-lane carry, engineers mean the converter, oncologists mean the drug.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

ADC / DAC ADC / APC ADC / ADHD

Common pairings

ADC main support and ADC 12-bit ADC ADC resolution ADC sampling rate

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “ADC” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

He mains _____ and refuses to play anything but bot lane.

Etymology

An initialism, expanded differently in each field: attack damage carry, analog-to-digital converter, antibody-drug conjugate, aide-de-camp.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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marksman bot laner carry

Antonyms

DAC

Related words

support act post bring hold expect carry stock

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an ADC and a DAC?

An ADC converts an analog signal into digital numbers, such as turning a microphone's voltage into audio samples. A DAC does the reverse, turning digital numbers back into an analog signal so a speaker can play them. Recording uses an ADC; playback uses a DAC.

Is ADC still the right word in League of Legends?

Riot officially calls the role Bot Lane and the champion class Marksman, but players overwhelmingly still say ADC. Both are understood, and ADC remains the standard word in matchmaking chat and coaching.

What does ADC resolution mean?

Resolution is how many distinct values the converter can output, given in bits. An 8-bit ADC produces 256 levels, a 12-bit one 4096, and a 16-bit one 65,536 — more bits means finer detail in the measurement.

What is the meaning of ADC?

"ADC" (noun) means in multiplayer online battle arena games such as League of Legends, the attack damage carry: the ranged character who deals sustained physical damage and is expected to become the team's main damage dealer late in the game. Also the bottom lane role that character plays.

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support act post bring hold expect carry stock