Acronym: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Acronym noun. A word formed from the first letters of other words and said as a word, like NASA.
How to say it
AK-ruh-nim/ˈakrənɪm/
3 syllables, stressed on the first (AK).
Acronym in a sentence
The new department chose an acronym before anyone had decided what it would do.
Scuba began life as an acronym, though few divers know what it stands for.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- abbreviation
- initialism
Where acronym comes from
Coined in 1940s America from Greek akron, tip, and onuma, name.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Scuba began life as an _____, though few divers know what it stands for.
- circumlocution
- glossolalia
- acronym
Show the answer
acronym: Scuba began life as an acronym, though few divers know what it stands for.