Kevin
January 30, 2022
Common Questions

Do you know the definition of the acronym OTP? This guide will show you everything you need to know about the meaning of OTP and how to use it!

OTP can have a ton of different meanings and uses. Knowing all of the options and how they’re different can help you use OTP correctly in your daily life!

What Does the Acronym OTP Mean?

OTP can stand for a couple of different things. First, it can stand for one-time password. This is a step in two-factor authentication when you log into a website or process a transaction.

On a website that you have to log into such as an online bank or credit card company, you will often use a standard password. Then, as an added step of security, there will be a one-time password sent to your phone or to your email that you must enter as a second password. This is often a PIN or series of numbers used as an authentication method to make sure someone did not steal your password.

Usage in Fan Fiction

OTP can also stand for one true pair or one true pairing in the Fan Fiction and erotica writing communities. This refers to a “ship” or relationship that is a person’s favorite. From your favorite movie to the show The West Wing, the term OTP is internet slang for your favorite romantic pairing.

Someone’s OTP in the Harry Potter fandom might be Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, or Draco and Hermione. In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom, it might be Buffy and Angel. In Twilight, it could be Bella and Edward.

This phrase can also be used about celebrities or real people, though it is less common and often seen as an invasion of privacy. An example of this might be Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss.

There are also variations on the term OTP, such as the term BROTP. This refers to two people in are your favorite pairing as best friends or bros. Someone might ship Ross and Joey from the show Friends as their ultimate BROTP or the true threesome of Ross, Joey and Chandler.

Other variations include OTT, which stands for one true threesome, or TTP, which stands for two true pairings. This shorthand is used frequently in the Fan Fiction community alongside OTP.

What Else Can OTP Stand For?

The Free Dictionary states that OTP has a variety of other meanings outside of one-time password or one true pairing. Since the latter O, T, and P begin so many different words in English and other languages, this means that the possibilities are endless for the potential meanings of this acronym.

If you are concerned that someone might be confused about what you mean by OTP, don’t be afraid to clarify that you mean one of these terms:

Országos Takarék Pénztár (Hungarian: General Saving Bank)
Off the Page
One Team Partner
One Term President
Over Temperature Protection
Occupational Training Program (various organizations)
On the Piss
Office of the Premier (various locations)
Open Telecom Platform
Operating & Transition Plan
on the Phone
Opposite Track Path
On the Pause
Operational Trial Period
Bucharest, Romania – Otopeni (Airport Code)
Opposite Track Path (DVD mastering system)
Orientation Training Program (various organizations)
Other Tobacco Product (taxation designation)
Open Trading Protocol
Office of the Prosecutor (International Criminal Court; Netherlands)
One Time Pad
One Time Payment (customer service)
Obligatorisk Tjenestepensjon (Norwegian: Mandatory Occupational Pension)
Outside the Perimeter (people living outside the I-285 perimeter of Atlanta, GA)
Oregon Transportation Plan
Odznaka Turystyki Pieszej (Polish PTTK badge)
Offender Treatment Program (various locations)
On the Phone (chat)
Order to Pay
Operational Test Piece
Officers Training Program (various locations)
Opioid Treatment Program
Overtime Personnel
One-Touch Phone (smartphone)

Even More Meanings of OTP

Below are even more potential meanings of the acronym OTP. How many of these have you heard before?

Ore Transport Permit (Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Philippines)
On Track Plant (rail vehicle; UK)
Off the Pigs (band)
Offer to Purchase
One-Trick Pony (Paul Simon song/album)
Operations Training Package
Open Training Platform (various organizations)
Open Trading Protocol (for purchasing)
Operational Test Plan
Olympic Transport Plan (UK)
Owner’s Title Policy (real estate)
Oil Treatment Plant
On-Time Performance
One Time Programmable (electronics)
Other Trustworthy Person (PEZ collectors)
Office of Telecommunications Policy
Optional Time Period
Orbital Time Processor
Outpatient Treatment Program
One Time Programmable
Optical Technology Project
Order Transaction Processing
One Time Payment
Operational Test Procedure
Other Theater Project (Cleveland, Ohio)
Orlando Theatre Project (Orlando, FL)
Oh, the Profanity! (blog)
Operator Training Program (various organizations)
Operations Test Plan (US NASA)
Online Team Play (gaming)
Outline Test Plan
Over the Phone
Outdoor Therapeutic Program
Optical Transport Platform (various companies)
Other Transfer Payment (various organizations)
Openland Tree-Planting

How Can the Acronym OTP Be Used in a Sentence?

OTP can be sued in different contexts since it can mean numerous things. If you use OTP to mean one true pairing, this is fairly casual and should be reserved for texting or social media chatting. If you use it to mean one-time password, it can be appropriate in professional and formal settings.

Take a look at the examples below to understand how you can use OTP:

Bella and Edward are my OTP. They’re totally meant to be together.

The website has me enter an OTP as an added security measure, but I can’t get the PIN to send to my phone.

Harry and Ron are my favorite characters and are definitely my BROTP.

I hate that this website makes me enter an OTP every time. I know it’s for security, but it takes forever.

Conclusion

Overall, the abbreviation OTP means either a one-time password or one true pairing. A one-time password is an added security measure used on a website as a second step of logging in.

One true pairing is a term used in fanfiction and erotica communities to describe a person’s favorite romantic pairing.

Sources:

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.