neologism
a new word, meaning, usage, or phrase.
the introduction or use of new words or new senses of existing words.
a new doctrine, especially a new interpretation of sacred writings.
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.
Origin of neologism
1Other words from neologism
- ne·ol·o·gist, noun
- ne·ol·o·gis·tic, ne·ol·o·gis·ti·cal, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use neologism in a sentence
The formation of neologisms is a natural process that no amount of outrage can halt.
Go Ahead, End With a Preposition: Grammar Rules We All Can Live With | Nick Romeo | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOf course there are those who bristle at such neologisms—the scolds, the conservative prescriptivists, the SNOOTs.
The Oxford English Dictionary: The Original Crowdsourcer | Josh Dzieza | April 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThe air of CGI is thick with the miasma of biz-school neologisms.
Is It Over? A 2012 Clinton Global Initiative Postmortem | Matthew DeLuca | September 26, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTThe neologisms are not so audacious; the images are more schematic; the whole poem is calmer and more clarified.
mile Verhaeren | Stefan ZweigWhere such were totally lacking, the need of a concise formula has of necessity overcome repugnance to neologisms.
Anarchism | Paul Eltzbacher
Their nomenclature was copious; but the revolutionary jargon often shows the danger and the necessity of neologisms.
Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 3 (of 3) | Isaac DisraeliA great swarm of neologisms thus arose, and, as in the previous case, they were chiefly compounds.
The American Language | Henry L. MenckenIt is permissible to regard many of the neologisms imagined by the insane as examples of stereotyped speech.
Tics and Their Treatment | Henry Meigne
British Dictionary definitions for neologism
neology
/ (nɪˈɒləˌdʒɪzəm) /
a newly coined word, or a phrase or familiar word used in a new sense
the practice of using or introducing neologisms
rare a tendency towards adopting new views, esp rationalist views, in matters of religion
Origin of neologism
1Derived forms of neologism
- neologist, noun
- neologistic, neologistical or neological (ˌnɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl), adjective
- neologistically or neologically, adverb
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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