Acronymical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Connected to the linguistic phenomenon of forming new terms by using the initial letters of a series of words
2. Pertaining to the practice of abbreviating phrases into single words composed of their starting letters
3. Associated with the process of creating words from the initial letters of multiple words

Etymology: "Acronymical" is simply a longer variant of "acronymic," formed by attaching the suffix "-ical" to "acronym." The base word "acronym" combines the Greek "akron," meaning "extremity" or "tip," with "onyma," meaning "name." An acronym, then, is a name built from the outer letters or parts of other words, such as "NATO" or "radar." The suffix "-ic" means "of or relating to," and "-ical" is a related form that adds a further layer of the same sense. Both endings turn a noun into an adjective, so the two forms describe the same thing: something connected with acronyms. English has many such pairs, including "comic" and "comical," where the longer form is often used more loosely.