It is an abbreviation, used as a word, which is formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word.
Usage Note: In strict usage, the term acronym refers to a word made from the initial letters or parts of other words, such as sonar from so(und) na(vigation and) r(anging). The distinguishing feature of an acronym is that it is pronounced as if it were a single word, in the manner of NATO and NASA.  Acronyms. An acronym is a term formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the major parts of a compound term. This list explains acronyms found on the cms.hhs.gov web site and other acronyms that are commonly used.  Full Definition of ACRONYM. : a word (as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term; also: an abbreviation (as FBI) formed from initial letters: initialism. — ac·ro·nym·ic \ˌa-krə-ˈni-mik\ adjective. Noun [edit]. acronym ‎(plural acronyms). 1  An abbreviation formed by (usually initial) letters taken from a word or series of words, that is itself pronounced as a word, such as RAM, radar, or scuba; sometimes contrasted with initialism. 1 An acronym is an abbreviation, used as a word, which is formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word. Usually these components are individual letters (as in NATO or laser) or parts of words or names (as in Benelux). While initial letters are commonly used to form an acronym, the original definition was a word made from the initial letters or syllables of other words, for example UNIVAC from UNIVersal Automatic Computer. In English, acronyms pronounced as words may be a 20th-century phenomenon. Usage Note: In strict usage, the term acronym refers to a word made from the initial letters or parts of other words, such as sonar from so(und) na(vigation and) r(anging). The distinguishing feature of an acronym is that it is pronounced as if it were a single word, in the manner of NATO and NASA.  An acronym (pronounced AK-ruh-nihm, from Greek acro-in the sense of extreme or tip and onyma or name) is an abbreviation of several words in such a way that the abbreviation itself forms a pronounceable word. The word may already exist or it can be a new word. Many acronym lists you'll see are really lists of acronyms and initialisms or just lists of abbreviations. (Note that abbreviations include shortened words like esp. for especially as well as shortened phrases.). Summing up: 1  An abbreviation is a shortening of a word or a phrase. 2  An acronym is an abbreviation that forms a word. 3  An initialism is an abbreviation that uses the first letter of each word in the phrase (thus, some but not all initialisms are acronyms) 1 An acronym is an abbreviation that forms a word. 2  An initialism is an abbreviation that uses the first letter of each word in the phrase (thus, some but not all initialisms are acronyms). Many acronym lists you'll see are really lists of acronyms and initialisms or just lists of abbreviations. (Note that abbreviations include shortened words like esp. for especially as well as shortened phrases.). Summing up: 1  An abbreviation is a shortening of a word or a phrase. 2  An acronym is an abbreviation that forms a word. 3 Technically, a word that is formed by combining some parts (usually the first letters) of some other terms. For example, modem is the acronym derived from mod ulator/ dem odulator. In everyday speech, the term is also used to refer to initialisms, which are combinations of letters representing a longer phrase. For example, CRT is an initialism for cathode ray tube. The difference is that an acronym is pronounced as if it were a word rather than just a series of individual letter
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Acronyms http://www.cms.gov/apps/acronyms/ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acronym https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/acronym https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym http://www.thefreedictionary.com/acronym http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/acronym http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/acronym http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/A/acronym.html
what is an acronym