Definition:
A word formed from the initial letters of a name (for example, NATO, from North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or by combining initial letters of a series of words (radar, from radio detection and ranging). Adjective: acronymic. See also: initialism.
Etymology:
From the Greek, "point" + "name"Examples and Observations:
- "There is only one known pre-20th-century word with an acronymic origin . . .: colinderies or colinda, an acronym for the Colonial and Indian Exposition (1886)."
(David Wilton, Word Myths, 2004) - "The difference between acronyms and abbreviations is this: acronyms are proper words created from the initial letter or two of the words in a phrase, and they are pronounced like other words (cf. snafu, radar, laser, or UNESCO). By contrast, abbreviations do not form proper words, and so they are pronounced as strings of letters, for example, S.O.B., IOU, U.S.A., MP, lp, or tv."
(Keith Allan and Kate Burridge, Euphemism and Dysphemism, Oxford University Press, 1991) - "I have a couple of lists that I can refer to throughout the day, but I don't have the official 'FAT' book yet. Yes, it really is called the FAT (Federal Acronym and Terms) book."
(John Scales) - ABBA: The name of this 1970s Swedish pop group was derived from the first names of the group's members: Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny, and Anni-Frid.
- BOMFOG: from the initial letters in "Brotherhood Of Man, Fatherhood Of God." First used by journalists to refer to a familiar theme in Nelson Rockefeller's speeches; now refers to pious blather of any kind.
- KISS: from "Keep It Simple, Stupid"--advice often given to speakers and writers.
- NIMBY: from "Not In My Back Yard"--for a person who opposes anything scheduled to be built near his or her residence.
- "Re-branding FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) doesn't fix the problem; it just puts a new acronym on it."
(David Marin)
Pronunciation: AK-ri-nim
Also Known As: protogram
