# ADA

/ˈeɪdə/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ada
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. US disability law

noun · CEFR B2 · American English · Technical

Stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. This is a US law that protects the rights of people with disabilities in public life.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Americans with Disabilities Act. A landmark US civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in employment, government, and public accommodations.

- The new office building must follow all ADA rules to ensure everyone can enter.
- Compliance with the ADA requires businesses to provide reasonable accommodations and remove physical barriers that might impede access for individuals with disabilities.

Usage: Usually preceded by 'the' when referring to the law itself.

### 2. legal official

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Formal

Stands for Assistant District Attorney. This is a lawyer who works for the government to prosecute crimes.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Assistant District Attorney. A government lawyer who represents the state in criminal prosecutions under the direction of a District Attorney.

- The ADA presented the evidence to the jury during the trial.
- After several years as a public defender, she accepted a position as an ADA to gain experience in criminal prosecution.

Usage: Often used as a title or a job description in legal contexts.

### 3. programming language

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

A high-level computer programming language used for systems where safety is very important, like in planes or the military.

For teachers: A structured, statically typed, imperative, and object-oriented high-level computer programming language, originally designed for the US Department of Defense.

- The flight control software was written in Ada to ensure it was reliable.
- Ada remains a preferred language for real-time embedded systems where high reliability and safety-critical performance are non-negotiable requirements.

Teaching tip: Named after Ada Lovelace, often regarded as the first computer programmer.

### 4. female name

noun · CEFR A2

A traditional female first name.

For teachers: A female given name of Germanic origin, meaning 'noble'.

- Ada Lovelace was a famous mathematician in the nineteenth century.
- The name Ada saw a resurgence in popularity during the late Victorian era and has recently returned to modern naming charts.

Usage: Capitalized as a proper noun.

### 5. art movement

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

Stands for Autodestructive Art. This is a type of art where the object is meant to be destroyed or fall apart.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Autodestructive Art. A form of art, pioneered in the 1960s, where the artwork is designed to be destroyed or to disintegrate over time.

- The artist used acid on the metal to create a piece of ADA.
- Gustav Metzger's manifesto on ADA emphasized the destruction of the art object as a protest against nuclear weapons and commercialism.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.