orphan initialism

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orphan initialism

Where it comes from

From orphan + initialism. Coined by Dan Puckett in the stylebook of the St. Petersburg Times in mid 2015.

noun orphan initialisms

An existing initialism which has been redefined as a nonacronymous name, severing its link to its previous meaning.

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MLA

"orphan initialism." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/orphan%20initialism. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

orphan initialism. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/orphan%20initialism

Chicago

"orphan initialism." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/orphan%20initialism.

BibTeX

@misc{orphan_initialism_2026,
  title = {orphan initialism},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/orphan%20initialism},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}