The word acronym is formed from the Greek roots akro-, meaning 'height, summit, or tip', and -nym, 'name'. This See more

In general, abbreviation, which includes acronym, is any shortened form of a word or phrase. This includes letters removed from the end of a word such as prof. for professor, letters removed from the middle of a word s… See more

It is an unsettled question in English lexicography and style guides whether it is legitimate to use the word acronym to describe forms that use initials but are not pronounced as a word. While there is plenty of ev… See more

• Pronounced as letters
• Pronounced as word; initials only
• Pronounced as word; initials and non-initials
• Pronounced as combination of word and letters … See more

Acronymy, like retronymy, is a linguistic process that has existed throughout history but for which there was little to no naming, conscious attention, or systematic analysis until relatively recent times. Like retronymy, it became … See more