coinage

American  

[koi-nij] / ˈkɔɪ nɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act, process, or right of making coins.

2. the categories, types, or quantity of coins issued by a nation.

3. coins collectively; currency.

4. the act or process of inventing words; neologizing.

5. an invented or newly created word or phrase.

   “Ecdysiast” is a coinage of H. L. Mencken.

6. anything made, invented, or fabricated.

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coinage British  

/ ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ /

noun

1. coins collectively

2. the act of striking coins

3. the currency of a country

4. the act of inventing something, esp a word or phrase

5. a newly invented word, phrase, usage, etc

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Other Word Forms

• miscoinage
  noun
• noncoinage
  noun
• recoinage
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of coinage

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Middle French word coignaige. See coin, -age

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Explanation

Coinage refers to metal money, or coins. A numismatist — that's the technical term for a coin collector — is interested in coinage. Coinage is also the process of coming up with a new word. You probably wouldn't refer to the dimes jingling in your pocket as coinage, since this term tends to be used for coins in a more collective way, as in the coinage of foreign countries. Another way to use coinage is for the process of inventing (or coining) a new word. Shakespeare is famous for a lot of literary achievements, including his coinage of words like "lackluster," "bandit," and "bedazzled."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

coinage

The industry that previously fell in love with job titles like “digital ninja” and “storyteller” is latching onto a new coinage, the WSJ Leadership Institute’s Katie Deighton reports: the marketing engineer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

The Lydians are widely credited with inventing coinage, and their ruler, King Croesus, became legendary for his immense wealth.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

Earlier this year, he called “all men are created equal,” that famous coinage of the Declaration, the words that “came to define America’s culture.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

The Royal Mint said the release of the final Elizabeth II coins, dated 2021 and 2022, marks "a pivotal moment in British coinage history".

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2025

Later in his life, Newton presided over the Royal Society, a fellowship of scientists, and was Master of the Mint, where he devoted his energies to the suppression of counterfeit coinage.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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