Meaning & use
Initialisms
Last updated
Abbreviations formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced letter by letter rather than as a word.
See it in a sentence
FBI and CIA are common initialisms used throughout government documents.
The style guide recommends spelling out initialisms the first time they appear.
A note on using this word
Technically distinct from acronyms: an acronym like 'NASA' is pronounced as a word, while an initialism like 'FBI' is spoken letter by letter.
Words with a similar meaning
abbreviations
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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