acronym
noun
ac·ro·nym
| \ ˈa-krə-ˌnim
\
\
Definition of acronym
: a word (such as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term
also
: an abbreviation (such as FBI) formed from initial letters : initialism
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Other Words from acronym
acronymic
\ ˌa-krə-ˈni-mik
\
adjective
\
adjective
acronymically
\ -mi-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of acronym in a Sentence
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is known by the acronym “NATO.”
Recent Examples on the Web
The company’s name is an acronym of Vision Of Infinite Dimensions; before starting it, in 2015, its founders had careers as a theme-park entrepreneur, in the field of interactive design, and among Las Vegas magicians, respectively. — Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, "The VOID Is Where Virtual Reality Enters the Dying Meatspace of the Mall," 23 Aug. 2019 The table of contents with its accompanying lists of tables, figures, appendices and acronyms is 40 pages on its own. — Larry Persily, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska LNG project could have significant environmental impacts, says draft assessment," 1 July 2019 More: Is 'tonc' an acronym or a derogatory term for migrants? — Ashley May, USA TODAY, "Border Patrol agent questions two U.S. citizens for speaking Spanish in Montana gas station," 21 May 2018 For a while, defense lawyers’ attacks on the star prosecution witness in a sprawling New York corruption case were the most exciting part of a trial otherwise focused on contracts, agencies and bureaucratic acronyms. — Vivian Wang, New York Times, "‘Move On,’ Judge Tells Defense Lawyers in Corruption Trial," 14 Feb. 2018 The two schools ended up signing an agreement that allows both to use the acronym on a national basis, according to the Columbus Dispatch. — Cindy Boren, courant.com, "The Ohio State University wants to trademark its favorite word: ‘The’," 15 Aug. 2019 Alexis Tsipras, the reformed firebrand who leads Syriza (an acronym meaning Coalition of the Radical Left) is expected to make a dignified exit on July 8th by officially welcoming Mr Mitsotakis to the prime minister’s office. — The Economist, "Kyriakos Mitsotakis sweeps to victory in Greece," 8 July 2019 His background as a spy Skripal served with Russia’s military intelligence, often known by its Russian-language acronym GRU, and retired in 1999. — Jennifer Earl, Fox News, "Ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal's poisoning: What to know," 8 Aug. 2018 Skripal served with Russia’s military intelligence, often known by its Russian-language acronym GRU, and retired in 1999. — Washington Post, "UK counter-terror offer help after ex-Russian spy collapses," 6 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'acronym.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for acronym
acronym
noun
English Language Learners Definition of acronym
: a word formed from the first letters of each one of the words in a phrase
See the full definition for acronym in the English Language Learners Dictionary
acronym
noun
ac·ro·nym
| \ ˈa-krə-ˌnim
\
\
Kids Definition of acronym
: a word formed from the first letter or letters of the words of a compound term
The word “radar” is an acronym for “radio detecting and ranging.”
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