Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An acronym coined from an existing word or name. For example, wiki is a backronym when used for what I know is because wiki is a word whose original meaning is “collaborative website.”

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A word that is either not an acronym but is taken to be one and for which a full form is invented by back-formation, or is an acronym and for which an alternative full form is invented by back-formation.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Blend of back and acronym.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Blend of back and acronym

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Examples

Comments

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  • An example of a backronym from the word acronym is as follows.

    Acronyms Condense Representations Of Neologisms You Memorize

    In this example, because the word acronym itself is not an acronym, the phrase above is a pure backronym, not a replacement backronym. Also, because the word acronym itself appears in its backronym, the phrase is also a recursive-backronym.

    October 6, 2007

  • Brain. Hurts.

    October 6, 2007

  • backronym – the reverse of producing an acronym; taking a word which already exists and creating a phrase (usually humorous) using the letters of the word as initials, from backwards) + acronym; see also bacronym

    July 19, 2008

  • I have a condition known by a stupid backronym: ACHOO Syndrome. Medically, it is Autosomal Dominant Compelling Helioophthalmic Outburst Syndrome or "photic sneezing". Photic sneezers begin sneezing soon after they're exposed to bright sunlight. Is anybody else on Wordie a photic sneezer?

    September 28, 2008

  • *passes a handkerchief*

    September 28, 2008

  • Thanks, bilby.

    September 29, 2008

  • You know, my son has an episode of sneezing almost every morning. I've always teased, telling him he's allergic to morning! I really thought it had something to do with real allergies and perhaps breathing differently (through the nose instead of the mouth), after a deep sleep, upon just awakening. Now I can tell him he just has ACHOO! He'll like that.

    September 29, 2008

  • I'm not a photic sneezer, but I enjoyed this article.

    September 29, 2008

  • an acronym constructed from a pre-existing word or words

    August 14, 2009

  • From the examples:

    "N.O.R.E. is a backronym for Niggaz On (the) Run Eatin"

    Ha!

    November 23, 2009

  • BUMP

    (Backronym: Bring Up My Post)

    November 23, 2009

  • Is there such a thing as a 'frontrownym'?

    It would garner a lot of 'hindsight'.

    August 28, 2010