a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name and pronounced as one word
"`NATO' is an initialism for North Atlantic Treaty Organization"
"the word `scuba' is an acronym for s(elf)-c(ontained) u(nderwater) b(reathing) a(pparatus)"
An abbreviation formed by the initial letters of other words, sometimes exclusively such abbreviations when pronounced as a word (as "laser") rather than as individual letters (initialisms such as "TNT").
"The term RADAR is an acronym that stands for Radio Detection and Ranging."
To form into an acronym.
"The marketing team decided to abbreviate their new product name so it could be formed into a catchy acronym for the campaign."
The word "acronym" comes from the German Akronym, which is derived from Ancient Greek words meaning "end" and "name." It was first used in German in the early 1900s before entering English in 1940 to describe a name formed from the initial letters of a phrase.