
Acronym
A word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
nounAcronym
A word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
noun
Imagine This
Imagine a committee naming a long project: they take the first letters of National Aeronautics and Space Administration and create NASA, a catchy, pronounceable name that people can say aloud instead of reciting the full title.
Sounds Like
AK-ruh-nim
Looks Like
Usually written in all caps (NASA, FBI) or as a pronounceable word (radar, laser).
Remember This
Acronyms are often spoken as words (radar, laser, NASA). Some acronyms become common words, while others are still pronounced letter by letter (FBI, CIA).
Other Forms
Connect With
initialism, abbreviation, short form, shorthand
Note
Use 'an acronym' because the word begins with a vowel sound. Distinguish acronyms from initialisms: acronyms are pronounceable as words, while initialisms are pronounced letter by letter. Some terms start as acronyms and later become ordinary words.
