Word of the Day –Backronym

I do not usually do two Word of Day in succession, but I received an email listing contronyms. While not related, they are readily lumped together.  See this link to see a lits of contronyms: 75 Contronyms (Words with Contradictory Meanings)


  • Noun: Backronym
    1. an existing word, phrase, or abbreviation that has been made into an acronym (= a set of letters in which each is the first letter of a word in a name or phrase):
      • The Amber Alert system came from the name of a missing child, but later the backronym “America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response” was created.
      • BASIC is an acronym (for Beginner’s All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), not a backronym.
  • Synonyms:
    1.  not unsurprisingly – could not find any
  • Usage:
    1. “ A more reputable source, the fact-checking site Snopes, debunks this theory, noting that the acronym “chicken and lettuce under bacon” doesn’t appear in any sources prior to the advent of the internet. It is more likely a backronym inspired by the classic BLT sandwich. So where did the name really originate?”
  • Encountered:
    1. While reading What Does The ‘Club’ In Club Sandwich Really Mean?

To see more Words of the Day, visit this link: Words of the Day