Eponym vs. Acronym — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Eponym and Acronym
ADVERTISEMENT
Compare with Definitions
Eponym
An eponym is a person, place, or thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives derived from eponym include eponymous and eponymic.
Acronym
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase, usually using individual initial letters, as in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) or EU (European Union), but sometimes using syllables, as in Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg), or a mixture of the two, as in radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging). Similarly, acronyms are sometimes pronounced as words, as in NASA or UNESCO, sometimes as the individual letters, as in FBI or ATM, or a mixture of the two, as in JPEG or IUPAC. The broader sense of acronym inclusive of terms pronounced as the individual letters (such as "TNT") is sometimes criticized, but it is the term's original meaning and is in common use.
Eponym
A word or name derived from a proper noun. The words atlas, bowdlerize, denim, and Turing machine are eponyms.
Acronym
An abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word (e.g. ASCII, NASA).
Eponym
One whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something
Alexander Garden is the eponym of the gardenia.
ADVERTISEMENT
Acronym
A word formed by combining the initial letters of a multipart name, such as NATO from North Atlantic Treaty Organization or by combining the initial letters or parts of a series of words, such as radar from radio detecting and ranging.
Eponym
A real or fictitious person's name that has given rise to the name of a particular item.
Romulus is the eponym of Rome.
Acronym
Usage Problem An initialism.
Eponym
A word formed from a real or fictive person’s name.
Rome is an eponym of Romulus.
Acronym
(linguistics) 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").
Eponym
A word formed from a real or fictive place or thing.
“Tangerine” is an eponym of Tangier.
Acronym
(linguistics) An abbreviation formed by the beginning letters or syllables of other words (as "Benelux").
Eponym
The hypothetical individual who is assumed as the person from whom any race, city, etc., took its name; as, Hellen is an eponym of the Hellenes.
Acronym
To form into an acronym.
Eponym
A name, as of a people, country, and the like, derived from that of an individual.
Acronym
A word formed from the initial letters of a multi-word name
Eponym
The name of a person for whom something is supposedly named;
Constantine I is the eponym for Constantinople
Eponym
A name derived from the name of person (real or imaginary) as the name of Alexandria is derived from the name of its founder: Alexander the Great
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Reading vs. ReviewNext Comparison
Bridle vs. Halter