acronym
Syllabification: (ac·ro·nym)
Pronunciation: /ˈakrəˌnim/
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Definition of acronym
noun
Origin:
1940s: from Greek akron 'end, tip' + onuma 'name', on the pattern of homonym
Grammar
An acronym is an abbreviation composed of the first letters of other words so that the abbreviation itself forms a pronounceable word. For example:MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving AIDS: acquired immune deficiency syndrome radar: radio detection and ranging An abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately is called an initialism. For example:USO ESPN