Initials & Acronyms

NASA, established in 1958 amid the early space race, leads US civilian space exploration.

The FBI, operating under the Department of Justice, serves as the US's primary domestic law enforcement agency.

The CIA focuses on foreign intelligence gathering outside US borders, distinct from the domestically focused FBI.

UNESCO promotes education, science, and culture worldwide and is best known for its World Heritage Sites.

NATO, founded in 1949 during the early Cold War, allies North American and European nations.

Laser became such a common everyday word that it is rarely written in all capitals anymore.

Radar, like laser, evolved from a military acronym into an ordinary everyday word.

Scuba gear freed divers from needing a surface air supply line by making their equipment self-contained.

GPS, originally developed for US military use, now provides satellite-based location data to the public.

USB standardized device connections, replacing a confusing mix of earlier computer cable types.

The PDF, created by Adobe in the early 1990s, preserves a document's exact layout across any device.

HTML, created alongside the early World Wide Web, remains the standard markup language for building web pages.

ASAP is a widely used shorthand in both spoken and written business communication for urgency.

An FAQ list became a standard feature of websites and manuals for answering common questions.

DIY, doing tasks without professional help, grew from a habit into an entire retail and media industry.

The ATM, first widely introduced in the late 1960s, automated cash withdrawals for bank customers.

A PIN verifies identity for secure transactions, though the common phrase PIN number is technically redundant.

The ZIP Code, introduced in 1963, was designed to speed up the sorting and routing of US mail.

A CEO, a company's highest-ranking executive, typically reports directly to its board of directors.