# Glossary

A reference of terms used throughout the AccuWeather Enterprise API documentation.

---

## Admin Code

Administrative area code (e.g., state or province). See the [Administrative Areas](/developers/locations/administrative-areas) reference for details.

## Alias

Alternate names for a location, accounting for:

- Common alternate spellings (Saint Louis, St. Louis, St Louis)
- Historical names (Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon)
- Accepted alternate names (Derry, Londonderry)

Control the inclusion of aliases in search results with the `alias` parameter. Valid values: `Never`, `Always`, `NoOfficialMatchFound` (default).

## API Key

A unique code used for identification and authorization. Required on every API request via the `apikey` query parameter. Contact [sales@accuweather.com](mailto:sales@accuweather.com) to receive an Enterprise API key, or visit the [Developer Portal](https://developer.accuweather.com/) for a free demo key.

## Base URLs

| Environment | Hostname                         |
| ----------- | -------------------------------- |
| Development | `https://apidev.accuweather.com` |
| Production  | `https://api.accuweather.com`    |

Use the development hostname for testing only. Production applications must use the production hostname.

## Basin ID

Identifies a geographic basin for tropical cyclone data:

| Code | Basin                |
| ---- | -------------------- |
| AL   | North Atlantic       |
| EP   | Eastern Pacific      |
| NP   | Northwest Pacific    |
| SP   | Southwestern Pacific |
| NI   | North Indian         |
| SI   | South Indian         |

## Constituent Country

A country which makes up part of a larger entity or federation. For example, the United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

## Country Code

Two-character ISO country code (e.g., `US`, `GB`, `FR`).

## CSV

Comma-Separated Values — a tabular data format where each value is separated by a comma. Supported as an alternative output format by select endpoints such as the [Historical API](/developers/historical/general).

## Depression ID

The unique depression number assigned to a tropical cyclone by the issuing authority.

## details

A boolean value (`true`/`false`) specifying whether to include extended information in the response. Default: `false`.

## GeoJSON

A JSON-based format for encoding geographic data structures. Supported by select API endpoints.

## GMT Offset

The difference in hours from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC) for a given location. If using this value to calculate local times, you **must** observe the `NextOffsetChange` property to account for Daylight Saving Time transitions. See [Best Practices](/developers/best-practices) for details.

## HTTPS

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure — the secure transport protocol required for all API requests. Plain HTTP requests are not accepted.

## JSON

JavaScript Object Notation — the default response format for all API endpoints. A lightweight, human-readable data interchange format.

## JSONP

JSON with Padding — a legacy technique for cross-domain requests. Available using `parse_response` as the callback parameter. Modern integrations should use standard CORS-enabled requests instead.

## language

A string indicating the language in which to return the resource (e.g., `language=fr-FR`). Default: `en-us`. See [Language Support](/developers/languages).

## limit

An integer specifying the number of resources to return. Default: `25`.

## Localization

The process of translating information into different languages or adapting content for a specific country or region. The API supports **200+ languages and dialects** — see [Language Support](/developers/languages) for the full list.

## Location Key

A unique ID that designates a specific location. Use the [Locations API](/developers/locations/general) to search for the appropriate location key. Also referred to as **City ID** in some contexts.

## max

An integer specifying the maximum total list size. Cannot exceed 100. Default: `100`.

## offset

An integer that, along with `limit`, determines the starting position for paginated results. Default: `0`.

## POI Type

A categorized point of interest such as an airport, stadium, or park. See the full list of [POI types](/developers/locations/general#points-of-interest).

## q

Query or search text used in location searches (e.g., `q=New York`).

## Rank

A number applied to locations based on factors such as population, political importance, and geographic size. Search results are returned in rank order. A lower rank number represents greater significance — a value of 10 is the highest possible rank.

## RealFeel® Phrase

A brief text description of how the weather really feels based on the RealFeel® Temperature value (e.g., "Pleasant", "Cold", "Dangerous heat"). See the [RealFeel® Phrase Reference](/developers/reference/realfeel-phrase) for the full table of phrases and their temperature ranges.

## RealFeel® Temperature

An AccuWeather proprietary index that describes what the temperature really feels like, accounting for wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, and other factors. [Learn more about RealFeel® Temperature](https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/what-is-accuweather-realfeel/7198202).

## RealFeel® Temperature Shade

A variant of the RealFeel® Temperature index that calculates the perceived temperature in the shade rather than direct sunlight.

## Resolution

A measure of image sharpness, specified as pixel dimensions (e.g., 1024x1024). See the [Imagery API](/developers/imagery/general) and [Imagery Resolution Reference](/developers/reference/imagery-resolution) for available options.

## REST

Representational State Transfer — the architectural style used by the AccuWeather API. All resources are accessed via standard HTTP methods (GET) using predictable URL patterns.

## start / end

Date values indicating the start and end of a date range for time-bound queries.

## Tropical Status

A short phrase describing the current classification of a tropical weather event. See the [Tropical Status Reference](/developers/reference/tropical-status) for the complete list of all possible values.

## Verified Location

A location that has been verified by AccuWeather's primary location data provider. Verified locations:

- Are always returned at the top of search results
- Are the only locations used in GeoLookup and AutoComplete searches
- Are the only locations supported for [localizations](#localization) (translations)

An unverified location can be added to the verified list provided there is credible information to confirm the latitude/longitude, name, country, and primary administrative code.