Word
NATO
Phoneticsna·to
/ˈneɪtoʊ/
Definitions
01military alliance
n. Stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This is a group of countries from Europe and North America that agree to help each other if there is a war.
n. Abbreviation for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. An intergovernmental military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.
“Several more countries joined NATO to improve their national security.”
“The summit focused on whether NATO should expand its presence in Eastern Europe in response to shifting geopolitical tensions.”
Synonyms
02lazy behavior
n. Stands for No Action Talk Only. You use this to describe someone who makes big promises but never actually does any work.
n. Abbreviation for No Action Talk Only. A pejorative acronym used to describe individuals or organisations that talk extensively without taking practical steps.
“He is just NATO; he says he will help with the project but never shows up.”
“The management team was accused of being NATO, as their ambitious restructuring plans never moved past the initial meeting phase.”
Slang · Informal · Dialect
Usage
Common in Singaporean and Malaysian English (Manglish/Singlish).
Teaching tip
This sense is specific to Southeast Asian English dialects; learners should be aware it will not be understood by most Western speakers.
Synonyms
Etymology
From North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
From no+action+talk+only, from talking without acting.
From National Association of Theatre Owners.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/nato