neologism

See also Wiktionary:Neologisms

English

Etymology

From French néologisme, from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “new”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /niːˈɒlədʒɪzəm/

Noun

neologism (countable and uncountable, plural neologisms)

  1. (linguistics, lexicography, countable) A word or phrase which has recently been coined; a new word or phrase.
    Synonym: coinage
  2. (linguistics, uncountable) The act or instance of coining, or uttering a new word.
  3. (psychiatry) The newly coined, meaningless words or phrases of someone with a psychosis, usually schizophrenia.
  4. The introduction of new doctrine, for example in theology.

Usage notes

For a word to be no longer considered new, it needs to be understood by a significant portion of the population as having always been a valid word. For that to occur the word must have been in common use for approximately one generation — fifteen to twenty years — but there is no universally accepted measure. Also note that although some neologisms may be in prevalent use, others have only a few usages. Neologisms however always have more prevalent usage than protologisms.

Antonyms

Derived terms

  • diffused neologism
  • stable neologism

Translations

See also

References

  • The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style. Bryan A. Garner. Oxford University Press, 2000. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. 21 June 2006
  • The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Anagrams

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