acronym
1 synonym for acronym, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A word formed from the first letters of a longer phrase, especially one pronounced as a single word rather than spelled out.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
initialism
How to use acronym
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
common acronym
stands for
acronym for
Etymology
Borrowed from German Akronym, built from Greek akron ("tip, end") and onyma ("name"), on the model of "homonym" and "synonym." First used in the early 1900s in German and by 1940 in English.
Full origin of acronym →Frequently asked questions
What does “acronym” mean?
The word “acronym” means a word formed from the first letters of a longer phrase, especially one pronounced as a single word rather than spelled out. In plain terms, a short word made from the initial letters of a longer name or phrase.
How do you pronounce “acronym”?
“Acronym” is pronounced AK-ruh-nihm (/ˈæk.ɹə.nɪm/ in IPA).
How do you use “acronym” in a sentence?
Here is “acronym” used in a sentence: “"NASA" is an acronym for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.”
What part of speech is “acronym”?
“Acronym” is a noun.
Where does the word “acronym” come from?
The word “acronym” dates back to around 1940 and comes from German. Borrowed from German Akronym, built from Greek akron ("tip, end") and onyma ("name"), on the model of "homonym" and "synonym." First used in the early 1900s in German and by 1940 in English.
Is “acronym” a common word?
“Acronym” is an uncommon word in modern English.
