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

Bae,” for example, is a term of endearment that is either short for “baby” or an acronym for “before anyone else.

From The Daily Beast

He used the Arab acronym for ISIS or ISIL, as the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” commonly is known.

From The Daily Beast

Try not to laugh when you notice what the acronym for said foundation is.

From The Daily Beast

RICO is the acronym for the Racketeer-influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

From The Daily Beast

The acronym of the embodying League of the Common Fate is SOS.

From The Daily Beast