acronym

[ ak-ruh-nim ]

noun

1. a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words and pronounced as a separate word, as Wac from Women's Army Corps, OPEC from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or loran from long-range navigation.
2. initialism ( def 1 ).
3. an acrostic.

verb (used with object)

1. to make an acronym of:

   The committee's name has been acronymed MIKE.

acronym

/ ˈækrənɪm; əˈkrɒnɪməs /

noun

1. a pronounceable name made up of a series of initial letters or parts of words; for example, UNESCO for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization

acronym

1. A word formed by combining the beginning letters of a name or phrase , as in WASP for w hite A nglo- S axon P rotestant, or by combining the initial syllables of a series of words, as in radar, which stands for ra dio de tecting a nd r anging.

Grammar Note

See abbreviation.

Notes

Acronyms are often less clumsy than the complete expressions they represent and are easier to write and remember.

Derived Forms

• ˌacroˈnymic, adjective

Other Words From

• ac·ro·nym·ic; a·cron·y·mous [uh, -, kron, -, uh, -m, uh, s], adjective
• ac·ro·nym·i·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of acronym¹

First recorded in 1940–45; acr- + -onym

Word History and Origins

Origin of acronym¹

C20: from acro- + -onym

Example Sentences

"I even created a not-so-creative acronym: 'LAC - Life After Cass'."

From BBC

Musk and Ramaswamy think that acronym is adorable, since it refers to a beloved internet meme as well as a cryptocurrency in which Musk is heavily invested.

From Salon

The acronym is a nod to Musk's favourite cryptocurrency, Dogecoin.

From BBC

It was Mr O’Neill who, at the turn of the century, dreamt up the acronym "Bric" for four emerging economies he believed should be "brought into the centre of global policy making".

From BBC

Headed "Top Secret", they include the acronym "FGI", standing for "Foreign Government Intelligence".

From BBC