Terminology at a Glance |
Acronym An acronym is a pronounceable word constructed from each of the first letters of a descriptive sentence or phrase. An acronym is nothing but a special type of abbreviation. Modern acronyms sometimes also use capitalized letters from the middle of a word as well, like XML for eXtensible Markup Language.A distinct difference between acronyms and abbreviations does not exist. All acronyms are abbreviations, but all abbreviations are not acronyms. The AcronymGenie database contains abbreviations, acronyms and initialisms. No distinction is made among them. Here's an example of an acronym: LAN = Local Area Network AcronymGenie does not use periods after each letter of an abbreviation (for example, C.P.U.). When searching for an abbreviation, don't type the periods (unless the acronym normally contains a period, for example, ASN.1). Abbreviation An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase (not necessarily using the initial letters).Initialism An initialism is a shortened form of a phrase obtained from the first letters of the words or names.Recursive Acronym A recursive acronym is an acronym nested inside another similar-sounding acronym, for example, GNU meaning GNU is Not Unix.Expansion An expansion is the expanded or elaborated form or definition of an acronym, abbreviation or initialism. |