Definition Acronym - Definition

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Acronym:
[size=-1]NOUN:[/size]A word formed from the initial letters of a name, such as WAC for Women's Army Corps, or by combining initial letters or parts of a series of words, such as radar for radio detecting and ranging.

(Emphasis added)
From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition.

Frequently misused to describe any abbreviation or initialism. "Acronym" properly refers to a word. "Scuba" (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is an acronym; "SPC" is not.
 

Al Rosen

Leader
Super Moderator
JSW05 said:
Acronym:
[size=-1]NOUN:[/size]A word formed from the initial letters of a name, such as WAC for Women's Army Corps, or by combining initial letters or parts of a series of words, such as radar for radio detecting and ranging.

(Emphasis added)
From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition.

Frequently misused to describe any abbreviation or initialism. "Acronym" properly refers to a word. "Scuba" (Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) is an acronym; "SPC" is not.
So, SNAFU is not an acronym since it is not formed from a name?
 
L

little__cee

Favorite!

Al Rosen said:
So, SNAFU is not an acronym since it is not formed from a name?

But SNAFU is my favorite military term. It ranks right up there with FUBAR, although I'm not sure if that one is a civillian one or not.
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Al Rosen said:
So, SNAFU is not an acronym since it is not formed from a name?
"Snafu" is an acronym that fits the definition in the earlier post; a word formed from "...combining initial letters or parts of a series of words..."
 
P

Pataha

SCUBA became a word as is an acronym. SNAFU has also become an acronym.
I am not sure where the post came from, however....

SPC, L&D, MRI, OB/GYN would not be considered a acronym, just our normal laziness to truncate terms. It helps when employing these terms that all of sudden some people call jargon. What's up with that? Like you resume has too much jargon.

Also, in my humble opinion, "IT" is not any acronym, though it fits in the gap between acronyms and other terms. It may be the gap. What do you think?
 
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