What does LG stand for? Originally, the letters came from Lucky GoldStar, the combined names of two South Korean businesses in one family group: a chemical company known as Lucky and an electronics maker called GoldStar. The group shortened its name to LG in the 1990s.
Today LG is simply the company name, not a short form the company spells out. You will also see the letters paired with the slogan "Life's Good," which gives LG a second reading in advertising. That slogan came after the name, so it is a tagline fitted to the letters rather than their source.
Quick facts
Stands for
Lucky GoldStar (original names)Slogan reading
Life's GoodType
Brand name built from initialsHow to say it
L G, letter by letterHome country
South KoreaName changed
From Lucky GoldStar to LG in 1995Other meaning
lg. as a short form of large in recipes and sizes
Lucky and GoldStar: where the letters came from
The story starts in South Korea after World War II. A chemical company founded in 1947 became known by the name Lucky. In 1958 the same group set up GoldStar to build radios and other electronics. Over time the two names were joined as Lucky GoldStar, and the group used both for decades.
| Letter | Original name | Business |
|---|---|---|
| L | Lucky | Chemicals and household goods |
| G | GoldStar | Electronics and appliances |
In 1995 the group adopted LG as its official name. The short form was easier to say in many languages and gave the company one name to use around the world.
What does LG stand for in appliances?
When you see LG on a washer, a fridge or a TV, the letters mean the same thing as everywhere else: they are the brand name of LG Electronics, part of the larger LG group. The appliance badge does not stand for a feature or a model type. Some people guess "Lucky Gold" or "Life's Good" when they look at a dishwasher, and both guesses point to real parts of the story.
On a repair form: "Brand: LG. Model number: see label inside the door." Here the letters are just the maker's name, and the model number is what the technician needs.
Life's Good: slogan, not source
Many people believe LG was always an acronym for Life's Good. It was not. The company name came first, from Lucky and GoldStar, and the slogan was later chosen to match the same two letters. Readings that fit existing letters like this are a cousin of the backronym, where a phrase is invented to fit a word or set of initials. Here both meanings are true in their own way: Lucky GoldStar is the history, and Life's Good is the marketing line.
The company logo also plays on the letters, with a stylized face shape built around an L and a G.
Other things LG can mean
Away from the company, LG has a few other jobs:
- lg. in recipes and sizes: large, as in "1 lg. onion" or a size tag reading Lg.
- LG in text and chat: sometimes a quick way to say "looks good."
- LG in a list of officials: in some countries, a lieutenant governor.
On an appliance badge or in business news, people mean the brand. Lowercase lg. with a period almost always means large.
Saying and writing LG
Say it as two letters, "L G." Two capitals, no periods, no gap between them. Because the letter L is pronounced "el," use "an" before it: "an LG fridge," "an LG washer." A few sentences:
- "Our dryer is an LG we bought years ago."
- "LG used to be called Lucky GoldStar."
- "The remote has the LG logo at the top."
For other companies whose names began as initials, browse the brand name acronyms section, or read how RCA and HP got their letters.
Questions people ask
Does LG stand for Life's Good?
Not originally. LG comes from Lucky GoldStar. Life's Good is a slogan the company adopted later because it matches the same letters.
When did Lucky GoldStar become LG?
The group took LG as its official name in 1995. Before that, the Lucky and GoldStar names were used for its different businesses.
What country is LG from?
LG is a South Korean company. Its roots go back to a chemical business founded in the late 1940s and an electronics maker started in the late 1950s.
Is it an LG or a LG?
Use "an LG," because L is spoken as "el." You say "an el gee washer."
What does lg mean on a recipe?
Lowercase lg. with a period means large, as in "2 lg. eggs." The company is not involved.