Meaning & use

backronym

noun·Advanced

Last updated

An acronym deliberately created to fit an existing word or phrase, rather than the word being formed naturally from an acronym.

See it in a sentence

Some claim 'SOS' is a backronym for 'Save Our Ship,' though it was originally chosen just for being easy to signal in Morse code.

The company invented a catchy backronym to explain its brand name.

A note on using this word

A blend of 'back' and 'acronym'; distinguishes cases where the phrase was invented after the word, unlike a true acronym.

Make it your own

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