abbreviation, in writing, arbitrary
shortening of a word, usually by cutting off letters from the end, as in U.S. and Gen.
(General). Contraction serves the same purpose but is understood strictly to be the shortening
of a word by cutting out letters in the middle, the omission sometimes being indicated by an
apostrophe, as in the word don't. Most abbreviations are followed by a
period. Usage, however, differs widely, and recently omission of periods has become common, as
in NATO and UN. Acronyms are combinations of the first letters/syllables in a group of words
to form a new grouping of letters that can be pronounced as a word. A period is never used
when apostrophes appear.
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