This dating system was meant to signal the year of Christ's birth, but modern scholars have decided Jesus was actually born a few years earlier. Nowadays it is more usual to put both abbreviations after the numbers (e.g. 145) then “B.C.” often placed after the year number (e.g. Some people mistakenly interpret “A.D.” as standing for “after death.” The abbreviation “A.D.” was originally placed before the year number (e.g.
For example, a person would write AD 2014 but 21st century AD or 3rd millennium AD. In past centuries, AD came before the year but comes after a century or millennium.
Similarly, Before Christ, shortened as BC or B.C., is used in the English language to refer to all years before the start of the time period Anno Domini. AD is also a shortening for Christian Era. For other uses, see BC (disambiguation).Īnno Domini ( Medieval Latin : 'in the year of the Lord'), shortened as AD or A.D., is used to refer to the years after the birth of Jesus.
