Acronym

An acronym is a word formed from combining parts of a longer compound term or phrase, normally the initial letter or letters. For example, BTW stands for By the Way, and FORTRAN is the chosen parts of the words formula translator. Sometimes the letters combined are pronounced as a word, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration being commonly known and pronounced as NASA (nah-suh), and the North American Treaty Organization being known and pronounced as NATO. (nay-tow).

The term acronym is derived from Greek roots. Acr- meaning “height or summit” and -onym meaning “name”. The compound first appeared in Germany as “akronym” in 1921. The english language cites the term first being used in 1940.

Acronym examples

The evolution of email, texting, and instant messaging has spawned a rich set of acronyms for common phrases to allow users to complete messages quicker. Popular acronyms are listed below.

Acronym

Meaning

ASAP

As Soon As Possible

BRB

Be Right Back

DM

Direct Message

FYI

For Your Information

IDK

I Don’t Know

LMK

Let Me Know

LOL

Laugh Out Loud

NBD

No Big Deal

TBH

To Be Honest

WFH

Work From Home

A recursive acronym is an acronym used in the computer and technology industry that references a person, company, or product name in the acronym itself. Oftentimes recursive acronyms are created from the egotistical or humorous nature of the developer. A few examples (both technology and non-technology related are:

  • FARM: Farm Animal Rights Movement
  • WINE: WINE Is Not an Emulator
  • VISA: Visa International Services Association
  • RPM: RPM Package Manager

Vangie Beal
Vangie Beal
Vangie Beal is a freelance business and technology writer covering Internet technologies and online business since the late '90s.
Get the Free Newsletter
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
This email address is invalid.
Get the Free Newsletter
Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
This email address is invalid.

Related Articles

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts a device's Internet access through a secure server. It is most frequently used for remote employees accessing a...

Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule and shows the dependency between tasks and the current schedule...

Input Sanitization

Input sanitization is a cybersecurity measure of checking, cleaning, and filtering data inputs from users, APIs, and web services of any unwanted characters and...

IT Asset Management Software

IT asset management software (ITAM software) is an application for organizing, recording, and tracking all of an organization s hardware and software assets throughout...

ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting is a leading managed hosting provider that offers secure, scalable, and affordable...

HRIS

Human resources information system (HRIS) solutions help businesses manage multiple facets of their...

Best Managed Service Providers...

In today's business world, managed services are more critical than ever. They can...