summing up an abbreviation is a shortening of a word or a phrase an acronym is an abbreviation that forms a word an initialism is an abbreviation that uses the first letter of each word in the phrase thus some but not all initialisms are acronyms
ROI, or return on investment, is a common business term used to identify past and potential financial returns. Managers and executives look to the ROI of a project or endeavor because this indicates how successful a venture will be.
Return of capital (ROC) refers to principal payments back to capital owners (shareholders, partners, unitholders) that exceed the growth (net income/taxable income) of a business or investment. It should not be confused with Rate of Return (ROR), which measures a gain or loss on an investment.