abbreviation
np
en-PEE
Np (abbreviation) means No problem; a casual reply to thanks or to an apology. Example: “� thanks for covering my shift — np”
abbreviation
1
internet slang No problem; a casual reply to thanks or to an apology.
"— thanks for covering my shift
— np"
"np, I was heading that way anyway"
2
internet slang Now playing; used before the name of the track someone is listening to.
"np: Miles Davis — Blue in Green"
3
technical In computer science, the class of problems whose proposed solutions can be checked quickly by a computer, as in the unsolved question of whether P equals NP.
"The travelling salesman decision problem is NP-complete."
How to use np
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishShort for "no problem", said when someone thanks you.
When to use it
Lower case in texting. Capitalised NP is the computer science class, the nurse practitioner, or "now playing".
Memory tip
As a reply to thanks it stands alone — a bare "np" is a complete and friendly message.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
np at all
np :)
NP-complete
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— thanks for covering my shift — _____
Etymology
An initialism of "no problem"; separately, of "now playing" and, in complexity theory, of "nondeterministic polynomial time".
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between np and yw?
Both answer a thank you. yw ("you're welcome") accepts the thanks straightforwardly; np ("no problem") plays the favour down as having cost nothing. np is the more casual of the two.
Is np rude?
Not in messaging between friends or colleagues, where it is completely normal. Some older speakers dislike "no problem" as a reply to thanks because it raises the idea of a problem at all, so "you're welcome" is safer with customers or in formal email.
What does NP mean in medicine?
There it stands for nurse practitioner, a registered nurse with advanced training who can diagnose, prescribe and manage patients, in many places without physician supervision.
What is the meaning of np?
"np" (abbreviation) means no problem; a casual reply to thanks or to an apology.
