Acronym: Meaning, Definition and Examples List | Testbook.com

An acronym is essentially a shortened form of a phrase or a word. It is created by taking the first letters of the words that make up the name of something and combining them to form a new word. For instance, the word 'NATO' is an acronym for 'North Atlantic Treaty Organization'. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an acronym is a word formed from the initial letters or parts of other words and is pronounced as a single word. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as a word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term.

Acronyms are everywhere. With the rise of digital communication platforms, the usage of acronyms has increased exponentially. They are used in text messages, social media posts, emails, and even in formal documents. Acronyms help convey messages quickly and efficiently. Most people are familiar with common acronyms and don't need to look up their meanings.

Let's delve into some examples of acronyms that we frequently come across in our daily life.

• BRB – Be Right Back
• IDK – I Don't Know
• BTW – By The Way
• DIY – Do It Yourself
• ETA – Estimated Time of Arrival
• ATM – Automated Teller Machine
• GPS – Global Positioning System
• RSVP – Répondez S'il Vous Plaît (French for 'Please Respond')
• FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation
• CIA – Central Intelligence Agency
• WHO – World Health Organization
• IMF – International Monetary Fund
• CPU – Central Processing Unit
• HDD – Hard Disk Drive
• JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group
• LED – Light Emitting Diode
• SIM – Subscriber Identification Module
• USB – Universal Serial Bus
• VPN – Virtual Private Network
• AI – Artificial Intelligence
• UN – United Nations
• PPE – Personal Protective Equipment
• SOP – Standard Operating Procedure
• ESL – English as a Second Language
• TOEIC – Test of English for International Communication
• GRE – Graduate Record Examinations