FASLFAS

FASLFAS is a fictional acronym used in encyclopedic and educational contexts to illustrate how acronyms are defined and recorded in reference works. It has no canonical meaning, and there is no real-world organization or standard that bears the name FASLFAS.

To demonstrate ambiguity and the need for disambiguation, writers have proposed several illustrative expansions. Examples used in teaching materials include Federation for the Advancement of Social and Linguistic Analysis Studies; Flexible Automated Sensor Logistics and Forecasting Analysis System; and Financial and Statistical Ledger and Forecasting Analysis Suite. In other uses, FASLFAS is shown as a placeholder for a research consortium or a governmental program—again, all fictional constructs meant for instructional purposes.

Because FASLFAS is not real, encyclopedia entries about it typically identify it as a fictional term and focus on how such entries handle disambiguation, hypothetical expansions, and the mechanics of defining acronyms. The term is commonly employed in writing guides, glossary-building exercises, and discussions of information architecture to illustrate best practices in neutral description, scope, and verifiability.

See also: acronyms, disambiguation, placeholder names.