What Does This Mean?
[ FANDOM TROPE ][ FANFICTION ][ ABBREVIATION ]
Short for 'Alternate Universe' — fanfiction that places existing characters into a different setting, timeline, or set of circumstances than canon.
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
"It's a coffee shop AU, so don't expect any of the actual plot to show up."
LORE & ORIGIN
Long-standing fanfiction tagging convention, one of the most fundamental trope-tag shorthand terms across virtually every fandom.
FIRST SEEN
2005
PEAK ERA (EDITORIAL)
2005-2026 (Active)
CURRENT STATUS
Legacy / Decaying Slang
Related To:
AURA IMPACT ⓘ
+0 AURA
TREND STATUS
↓ FADING
EDITORIAL ESTIMATE
CULTURE CATEGORY
[ FANDOM TROPE ][ FANFICTION ][ ABBREVIATION ]
RELATED TERMS
MENTIONS OVER TIME
DOCUMENTED SINCE
2005
NOW
Radar observation data not yet available for this term.
RELATED SEARCHES
TOP PLATFORMS
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