EP
1 Americanabbreviation
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extended play:
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a phonograph record that is typically played at 45 rpm and contains more tracks than a single, but fewer tracks than an LP.
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a short or half-length music album in any format, typically comprised of four to seven songs: called EP as an evolution of the traditional extended-play record, albums in other formats are not known by the underlying expanded form, and identified only by the abbreviation.
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abbreviation
noun
abbreviation
abbreviation
prefix
abbreviation
Usage
What else does EP mean? EP commonly stands for extended play, a musical recording which is popularly understood as shorter than a full album (about four to seven tracks). EP can also stand for European plan (in hotels) and European Parliament. Sometimes, EP, written as ep, is short for episode (of a TV show, podcast, etc.).How is EP pronounced?[ ee-pee ] for European Parliament, European Plan, or extended play, and [ ep ] for episode.What are some other words related to EP?
- album
- LP
- mixtape
- record
Etymology
Origin of EP
First recorded in 1950–55 EP for def. 2a
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Irish rock legends U2 have released their second surprise EP of 2026, with the six-track Easter Lily coming just over 40 days after Days of Ash.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
A slower and less sophisticated version of “Blow My Mind” came out in 2002, while “Sucker for Love” was written with Norwegian duo Röyksopp in sessions for their 2014 collaborative EP.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
First, their 2025 EP “Papota” humorized their rapid ascent to stardom and poked fun at how artists must dilute their image to fit the mainstream.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026
"These EP tracks couldn't wait; these songs were impatient to be out in the world. They are songs of defiance and dismay," frontman Bono said in a statement.
From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026
I lean against the brick wall behind: the cafeteria, searching my music library for an EP by Leda.
From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.