Blog Archives

What is an acronym? Definition and examples

An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of a name (for example, NATO, from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or by combining the initial letters of a series of words (Radar, from radio detection and range). Adjective: acronym. Also called program.

Strictly speaking, says lexicographer John Ayto, an acronym "denotes a combination pronounced as a word...rather than a simple sequence of letters" (A Century of New Words, 2007).

An acronym is an acronym (or other initialism) for which the expanded form is not widely known or used, such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).

Etymology

From the Greek, "dot" + "name"

Pronunciation

AK-ri-nim

Examples and observations

• Acronyms and abbreviations "The difference between acronyms and abbreviations are as follows: acronyms are proper words created from the initial letter or two of the words in a sentence, and are pronounced like other words (cf. Snafu, radar, laser, or UNESCO). By contrast, abbreviations do not form proper words, so they are pronounced as strings of letters, for example, SOB, IOU, USA, MP, lp, or television.'
• "I have a couple of lists that I can refer to throughout the day, but I don't have the official 'FAT' book yet. Yes, it's actually called the FAT Book (Acronym and Federal Terms)."
• Textspeak Acronym "Many acronyms meant to be written have found their way into the spoken language, just ask your BFF, or the co-worker who sets everything up with 'FYI. Lately, this is also the case with Internet slang'.

• not next to my house not next to my house: from "Not In My Back Yard" - for a person who is opposed to anything scheduled to be built near his residence
• FEMA "Re-branding FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) doesn't fix the problem; it just puts a new acronym on it."
• Ancient Roots of the Acronym ' Acronym has ancient roots, as illustrated by the early Christian use of the Greek word ichtys meaning "fish" as an acronym for Therefore, Christos, Theou Huios, Sōtēr ('Jesus Christ, son of God, Savior'). In English, the first known acronyms (as opposed to the old initialisms) appeared in the telegraphic code developed by Walter P. Phillips for the United Press Association in 1879. The code abbreviated "Supreme Court of the United States" as Scotus and 'President de la' as MACETA giving way to POTUS for 1895. Those shorthands have remained in journalistic and diplomatic circles, now accompanied by FLOTUS, which of course means "First Lady of the United States".