anacronym

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An acronym that is usually no longer thought of as such, but instead treated as a regular word and styled in lower case despite its etymological origin.

Pronunciation

/əˈnæk.ɹə.nɪm/

Word forms

anacronym anacronyms

Etymology

Perhaps blend of anachronism + acronym but perhaps an- + acronym, in either case indicating an acronymic word that has lost much of its acronymic identity because people usually no longer focus on the etymonic origin when using the word.

Related words

Derived words

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