TNT is an initialism derived from the systematic chemical name 'trinitrotoluene'. This name itself is a compound formed from international scientific vocabulary: the prefix 'tri-' (from Greek, meaning 'three'), 'nitro-' (referring to the nitro group, NO₂, from Greek 'nitron'), and 'toluene' (a hydrocarbon from which it is derived, named after the tolu balsam tree). The abbreviation TNT, representing the explosive's technical name, entered common English parlance during the 20th century, particularly around the World Wars. Its potency led to the term being used metaphorically to describe anything possessing tremendous energy or impact, solidifying its place in both technical and colloquial language.

TNT is an initialism for the chemical compound trinitrotoluene. It is not formed from combinable English morphemes but from the initial letters of its full chemical name.