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

Etymology

Origin of coinage

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

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

Men are now joining women in obsessing over trimester zero, a coinage referring to the months leading up to conception.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The coinage is a nod to Brünnhilde, a soprano role stereotypically portrayed as a robust figure in a horned helmet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Dr Blackwell said there was virtually no documentary sources that explained how coinage was produced in Scotland.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

Some large plaques also pay tribute to historic events such as the last stagecoach robbery in Kern County in 1869, in which a gunman made off with $1,700 in coinage and gold bullion.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2024

She felt around the bottom of the gunnysack until her fingers found the lump of coinage.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson