acronym

(noun)

Abbreviations formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. These components may be individual letters (as in CEO) or parts of words (as in Benelux and Ameslan).

Related Terms

Examples of acronym in the following topics:

  • Abbreviations and Acronyms

    • Acronyms are abbreviations that form another word.
    • Laser is so frequently used as a word that few people know it is an acronym.
    • The first time you use any acronym, make sure to use its expanded form first.
    • Most acronyms are written in all-uppercase with no punctuation between letters.
    • Spaces are not used between the different letters of acronyms.

  • Presenting the Prevailing Theories

    • Although it is not mentioned in the IMRAD acronym, writers in the natural sciences commonly begin their papers with a literature review.

  • Starting with the Data

    • It is an acronym for Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion.

  • Apostrophes

    • Apostrophes are sometimes used to form plurals for abbreviations, acronyms, and symbols where adding just s as opposed to 's may leave things ambiguous or inelegant.

  • Conjunctions: Coordination, Correlation, Conjunction, and Subordination

    • (You can use the acronym FANBOYS to remember these!)