Acronym

From Fresh Dictionary

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English

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Etymology

From Greek acro-, sharp or high, + nym, name

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Pronunciation

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Noun

acronym, plural acronyms

  1. An abbreviation formed by (usually initial) letters taken from a word or series of words, and which is itself pronounced as a word.
  2. Any abbreviation so formed, regardless of pronunciation.
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Examples

  • RAM, random-access memory, pronounced /ˈɹæm/
  • radar, radio detection and ranging, pronounced /ˈreɪdɑː(r)/
  • scuba, self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, pronounced /ˈskuːbə/
  • TNT, trinitrotoluene, pronounced /ˈtiːˌɛnˌtiː/
  • IBM, International Business Machines, pronounced /ˈaɪˌbiːˌɛm/
  • XML, Extensible markup language, pronounced /ˈɛkˌsɛmˌɛl/
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Usage notes

  1. Although contradictory, both meanings of the word acronym are in common use. The second sense is often criticized by commentators who prefer the term initialism for abbreviations that are not pronounced like an ordinary word.
  2. Acronyms are generally written with all letters in upper case. Some acronyms are treated as words in their own right and are written in lower case (such as scuba).
  3. Older usage required that each letter be followed by a dot. Current usage tends to omit dots.
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Translations

word formed by initial letters

any abbreviation formed by initial letters

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See also

el:acronym io:acronym it:acronym pt:acronym fi:acronym

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