Initialism Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com Abbreviations can, however, be used in a heading if previously established. Examples and Observations Amy Einsohn: Most style manuals call for spacing between initials in a personal name: A. Abbreviations can be shortened forms of any kind. Wodehouse) making the spacingexactly like that used in initialisms. Learn a new word every day. Sehl K (24 April 2019) The ultimate list of social media acronyms and abbreviations, Hootsuite Blog, accessed 8 January 2020. Initialisms are featured in politics, corporate branding, scientific and medical terminology, and casual conversation alike. LMFAO means Laughing my freaking *a* off. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. are common in academic writing. The digitaledition updates punctuation style for shortened forms. Medicine Initialisms. Big businesses might use acronyms to make them stand out or just to shorten a long name. People could come across the shortened form without reading the text where it is first defined. 2 Bcc and Cc. Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." Initialism Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary Her popularLinkedIn Learning courses help people write better to communicate better. Affiliations may be abbreviated at the authors discretion in the Address for Correspondence. WebExamples [ edit] Allegro: Allegro Low LEvel Game ROutines (early versions for Atari ST were called "Atari Low Level Game Routines") AROS: AROS Research Operating System (originally Amiga Research Operating System) ATI: ATI Technologies Inc. BIRD: BIRD Internet Routing Daemon CAVE: CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment ADDucations acronyms list is compiled by, Share your cool acronyms and abbreviations. Grammar: Abbreviations and Acronyms A new word formed by joining the start of one word with the end of another. So, whats the difference between an acronym and initialism? Any opinions expressed in the examples do not Mrs. = Mistress (pronounced missus) Ms. = (pronounced miss or miz) Sr. = Senior Jr. = Junior Dr. = Doctor Mr. Green asked Ms. Grey if she had met Dr. Jekyl. Bcc and Cc are initialisms that you will see as options in your email program. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Initialisms ThoughtCo, Apr. If understood by users, they can make content easier to use. Matthew Cohen/Rd.com, Nicole Fornabaio/Rd.com, We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), This $12 Root Spray Conceals Gray Strands Until Your Next Wash Day, Word Power Vocabulary Quiz: Words That Shine, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Abbreviations for ante meridiem and post meridiem, An abbreviation meaning in case you missed it, An abbreviation meaning for what its worth, Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. STFU means Shut the *freak* up. Why? When writing an academic paper, you may need to quote something youve read somewhere. It advisedto avoid using Latin shortened forms, in line with the guidance in this edition of Style Manual. Generally acronyms are a shorter and convenient way to abbreviate words by taking the first letter of each word to form the acronym. Instead, each letter is pronounced separately: FAQ frequently asked questions TBA However, articles are often omitted in front of abbreviations. Please tell us a bit more about yourself. For content with many specialised acronyms and initialisms, provide a glossary a list of terms and their meaning that users can refer to. Abbreviate the following in tables, figures, and in the Methods section of research articles. 'UNICEF' is an acronym. Concrete vs. Abstract Nouns Whats the Difference? Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. It comes from the phrase "oll korrect," a humorous alteration of "all correct.". . Example: Dunkretaries 'Duncan secretaries', formed from Duncan and secretaries . Shes the GOAT!) or a superstar in a particular field (Saw the GOAT himself, John Williams, conduct an orchestra last night!). = Bachelor of science B.A. Abbreviations are just words or phrases that are shortened. On subsequent occurrences, use the abbreviation, VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) test. Email: contact@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations say what? But in common usage, the space between initials is being whittled down (C.P.E. WebAcronyms are a subtype of initialism. Commonly considered an abbreviation for miss, but technically its not an abbreviation for anything. W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) (n.d.) G102: providing the expansion or explanation of an abbreviation, Techniques for WCAG 2.0, W3C website, accessed 7 January 2020. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. Abbreviations vs. Acronyms vs. Initialisms - The Blue Book of Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox! W3C (n.d.) PDF8: Providing definitions for abbreviations via an E entry for a structure element, Techniques for WCAG 2.0, W3C website, accessed 7 January 2020. Acronym. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acronym. Its a word comprised of the first initials of the other words, which is then pronounced as its own word. The first two words are the founders name, Invgvar Kamprad, and the second two refer to Kamprads family farm (Elmtaryd) and hometown (Agunnary, Sweden), National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle. Pingback: Best 17 What Is Initialism - Mitadoor ng Nai, Listeners to my Savvy Psychologist podcast really seemed to respond to my boundary episodes. clipping. WebThese are also examples of common initialisms, because the letters dont form a word. Technically, these are initialisms, which is a type of abbreviation. for etcetera and Oct. for October; but acronyms are special kinds of abbreviations, such as ROFL(rolling on the floor laughing) and OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), that can be pronounced as words. JEEP - Just Expect Every Problem. The Content Guide mentions shortened words and phrases but did not provide detailed advice. Accessed 1 May. Acronyms are usually nouns in a sentence. However, if you are confident that your readers will already be familiar with the abbreviation (e.g., UFO, TV), theres no need to spell out the full version. for post script. If the term is used >3 times, the abbreviation RT-PCR can be used. , i.e., e.g. and cf. opens in a new windowList of Common Abbreviations Acronyms vs. Initialisms: Whats the Difference? Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. What is the difference between the words acronym and initialism? Sometimes we have a lot to say, but little time to say it. 2023 LoveToKnow Media. Acronyms and initialisms are two types of abbreviation that typically consist of the first letter of each word in a phrase. An initialism is a shortened version of a word or phrase that is pronounced as a series of letters. International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10), Challenges in Forecasting Antimicrobial Resistance (Length: 22:34). People unfamiliar with certain terms might not understand their shortened forms. Some publications put periods after each letter, arguing that because each letter is essentially an abbreviation for a word, periods are necessary. POTUS President of the United States 2. Acronyms and initialisms are common in formal content. Top Parental Control Software Examples of well-known initialisms include CEO for Chief Executive Officer and NSF for the National Science Foundation. sp., spp., sp. Examples include, Acronyms are made from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words but are pronounced as if they were words themselves. Initialisms also include words made from the initial letters of a Phrase but NOT pronounced as a normal word - it is instead pronounced as a string of letters. Key: An [1]initialism is an acronym Examples include scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) and gif (graphics interchange format). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. CDC twenty four seven. All acronyms are abbreviations, but not all abbreviations are acronyms. For the purposes of this section, abbreviation will refer to all of these. Program, Centre vs. Center, Organisation vs. Organization. Thats all. The word initialism only applies when the resulting thing is read as an abbreviation; for example DIY, which comes from "do it yourself," is pronounced by saying the names of the letters. Press Esc to cancel. English speakers split the difference between initialisms and acronyms simply by pronouncing certain abbreviations per their individual letters, and other times as single words. When shes not writing you can find her watching the latest and greatest movies, listening to a true-crime podcast (or two), blasting 90s music and hiking with her dog, Ryker, throughout the Finger Lakes. W3C (n.d.) H28: providing definitions for abbreviations by using the abbr element, Techniques for WCAG 2.0, W3C website, accessed 7 January 2020. Acronyms and initialisms | Style Manual When preparing content for well-established publications, such as professional journals, look at the author guidelines and examples of the content. Initialism - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia You can find them all over the place from the different departments to laws. This means that they dont have time to say or write all the complicated words that are found in the field of medicine. (for the word example) cm. Nordquist, Richard. For example, appt is an abbreviation of appointment, and ASAP is an abbreviation of as soon as possible.