acronym
playSimple Definition of acronym
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: a word formed from the first letters of each one of the words in a phrase
Full Definition of acronym
: a word (as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term; also : an abbreviation (as FBI) formed from initial letters : initialism
Examples of acronym in a sentence
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is known by the acronym “NATO.”
Did You Know?
Acronym was created by combining "acr-" ("beginning") with "-onym," ("name" or "word"). You may recognize "-onym" in other familiar English words such as "pseudonym" and "synonym." English speakers borrowed "-onym" directly from the Greek (it derives from "onyma," the Greek word for "name"). "Acr-" is also from Greek, but it made a side trip through Middle French on its way to English. When "acronym" first entered English, some usage commentators decreed that it should refer to combinations of initial letters that were pronounced as if they were whole words (such as "radar" or "scuba"), differentiated from an "initialism," which is spoken by pronouncing the component letters (as "FBI" and "CEO"). These days, however, that distinction is largely lost, and "acronym" is a common label for both types of abbreviation.
Origin of acronym
acr- + -onym
First Known Use: 1943
Other Grammar and Linguistics Terms
ACRONYM Defined for Kids
acronym
playDefinition of acronym
: a word formed from the first letter or letters of the words of a compound term <The word “radar” is an acronym for “radio detecting and ranging.”>
Learn More about acronym
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Spanish Central: Translation of "acronym" Nglish: Translation of "acronym" for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of "acronym" for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about "acronym"
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