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When using the acronym package, how can you correctly pluralize an acronym which ends on 'S'?

Take the acronym: OS - operating system

It should be pluralized as OS's, but is pluralized as OSs when using \acp.

Community
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Steven Jeuris
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    Note that while OS's is an acceptable plural, it's not the only right answer -- check your style guide if one applies (CMOS and NYT say yes, APA says no, the Guardian implies no by example). English.stackexchange discussion (not the first, probably not the last). – Chris H Oct 05 '15 at 16:22
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    Echoing @ChrisH but note OP's (apostrophe indicating possession there) link - https://english.stackexchange.com/a/58994/92427 gives specific mention of OS – beldaz Feb 05 '18 at 02:05

2 Answers2

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To define plural exceptions, you can use \acrodefplural:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{acronym}

\acrodefplural{OS}[OS's]{Operating Systems}

\begin{document}

\acp{OS}


\begin{acronym}
\acro{OS}{Operating System}
\end{acronym}

\end{document}

enter image description here

More information can be found on Section 2.3.1 Non standard and foreign plural forms of the acronym package documentation (see here).

Nietvoordekat
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Gonzalo Medina
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    It's so difficult to google for this stuff. I remember googling for "latex acronym plural exception" and nothing interesting showed up. Perhaps it's just a matter of knowing where to look, and TeX is a great help! Thanks. – Steven Jeuris Dec 17 '11 at 20:16
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    @StevenJeuris: You're welcome! Now, thanks to your question, if I google for "latex acronym plural exception", this question appears in the second place, so now other users will find a quick solution ;-) – Gonzalo Medina Dec 17 '11 at 20:20
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    When I use this solution the usages of the plural form of that acronym no longer gives a link to the acronym list. Why is that? Can it be solved? – Kajsa Jul 28 '15 at 09:47
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    I have the same questions as @Kajsa. – JCML May 19 '16 at 17:11
  • I have the same questions as @JCML – ploth May 03 '19 at 11:13
  • Keep in mind that it is optional to define the plural acronym [OS's] because if you do, the hyperlink to the OS part of OS's will no longer show up – Christabella Irwanto Apr 21 '20 at 05:28
5

To also have the plural show up as a link to the acronym list, enter two acronym entries similar to as such:

\acro{TSE}{transmissible spongiform encephalopathy}
\acrodefplural{TSE}{transmissible spongiform encephalopathies}

Then make sure you reference the acronym in the text body as such:

\acp{TSE}

This will now enter in the text with a link to the acronyms list as such:

"... transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) ..."

Topple
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