Neologism
noun /niːˈɒlədʒɪz(ə)m/ — A newly coined word or expression.
Definition
A newly coined word or expression; the coining or use of new words; a new word, usage, or expression that has recently entered a language.
Beyond the definition
Neologisms are evidence that the world has changed faster than the old vocabulary can accommodate. Each new technology, social movement, or cultural phenomenon generates neologisms — some that stick and enter the language permanently, many more that flare and die.
Origin & history
From Greek neos (new) + logos (word) + -ism. The making of new words — the linguistic response to new realities.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The internet has been extraordinarily productive of neologisms — unfriending, ghosting, doomscrolling.
She was a natural coiner of neologisms — somehow her invented words always felt necessary.
A neologism succeeds when it names something that was previously felt but not nameable.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Neologism” when the meaning fits your context: A newly coined word or expression; the coining or use of new words; a new word, usage, or expression that has recently entered a language.
Synonyms
new word, coinage, neolocution
Antonyms
archaism, obsolete term
Related words
- argot
- portmanteau
- lexicon
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Ruins and Modern City
An adult looks at an ancient ruin in the foreground and a brand new glass-and-steel city in the distance.
The modern city represents the neologism of the landscape—a newly created structure that has recently entered the older, historical context. Just as new words enter a language, the city represents the fresh, new development shifting the character of the epoch.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Neologism" mean?
Neologism is noun meaning: A newly coined word or expression.. A newly coined word or expression; the coining or use of new words; a new word, usage, or expression that has recently entered a language.
Where does the word "Neologism" come from?
From Greek neos (new) + logos (word) + -ism. The making of new words — the linguistic response to new realities.