An apronym is an acronym which means something appropriate to what it stands for. The word comes from a portmanteau of "apropos acronym". An apronym is a lot like a backronym; indeed, a backronym could be described as an ex post facto apronym. While backronyms are made from a word or acronym after the fact (e.g. BASIC), an apronym's expansion is the original intended expansion. Apronyms (backronyms included) can be made from any word, as a form of wordplay. Indeed, the word was coined by Tony McCoy O'Grady, an Irishman who has created over three thousand of them as wordplay; Mr. O'Grady's creations are visible at apronyms.com.
