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View synonyms for neologism

neologism

[ nee-ol-uh-jiz-uhm ]

noun

  1. a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase.
  2. the introduction or use of new words or new senses of existing words.
  3. a new doctrine, especially a new interpretation of sacred writings.
  4. Psychiatry. a new word, often consisting of a combination of other words, that is understood only by the speaker: occurring most often in the speech of schizophrenics.


neologism

/ ˌnɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl; nɪˈɒləˌdʒɪzəm /

noun

  1. a newly coined word, or a phrase or familiar word used in a new sense
  2. the practice of using or introducing neologisms
  3. rare.
    a tendency towards adopting new views, esp rationalist views, in matters of religion
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • neˌoloˈgistically, adverb
  • neˈologist, noun
  • neˌoloˈgistic, adjective
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Other Words From

  • ne·olo·gist noun
  • ne·olo·gistic ne·olo·gisti·cal adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of neologism1

From the French word néologisme, dating back to 1790–1800. See neology, -ism
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Word History and Origins

Origin of neologism1

C18: via French from neo- + -logism, from Greek logos word, saying
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Example Sentences

As with all our neologism contests, you’re welcome to use your word in a funny sentence to make your entry funnier, and you are not welcome to use your word in one that doesn’t.

This neologism challenge is more restrictive than our Spelling Bee contest, whose results run today, since you can’t use a single “tile” more than once.

Many neologisms are portmanteaux, terms that combine two existing words.

Raniere made a big deal about patenting it, and spun wonky neologisms that obscured rather than explained what he was doing.

From Fortune

It inspired endless debate, countless think pieces, and a neologism that instantly penetrated mainstream culture.

In the blink of an eye a neologism was formed, half Turkish, half English.

Witness the ridiculous neologism “Jew-washing”—the latest, Jewiest entry in the “No True Scotsman” competition.

Captology is a neologism coined by BJ Fogg, director of the very Soviet-sounding Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab.

The label stuck, and a search for “santorum” delivers the neologism first.

Rossetti's "Yester-year" moreover, is an absurd and affected neologism; "Antan" is an excellent and living French word.

In this one ordinary speech seemed to have been insufficient to describe the blotch, and he had to resort to a neologism.

But it observed a very high standard of classical English, a little intolerant of neologism, but not stiff nor jejune.

The locution of which we have made use—passed to the state of—has been condemned as a neologism by M. Royer Collard.

But if dictionaries are to be the arbiters of language, in which of them shall we find neologism?

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neolocalneologize