Neologism
/niˈɑːlədʒɪzəm/
nounC1
Definition
Neologism means a brand-new word or phrase that people have just started using. It can be a completely new word or a new meaning for an old word. People create neologisms all the time to describe new ideas, technology, or trends.
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See It in Action
A newly created word or phrase
- •"Selfie" is a neologism that started when smartphones became popular.
- •Many neologisms come from internet culture and technology.
- •Writers often create neologisms to describe new ideas or things.
A new meaning given to an existing word
- •The word "tweet" used to mean a bird sound, but now it has a new meaning as a message on Twitter, making it a neologism.
- •Sometimes neologisms change the way old words are understood.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "neologism" like "word," but a brand-new word that you have not heard before
- ✓Picture someone inventing a fresh word to describe something new, like "selfie" for a photo you take of yourself
- ✓It's the feeling when you learn a cool new word that no one used before—it makes language feel alive and changing
- ✓Sounds like "neo-LOG-ism" → imagine a new ("neo") logo for a word that just started to exist
- ✓Remember how "Google" became a verb—this is a neologism turning a company name into a new action word
- ✓NOT like "dictionary word" (old and known), neologisms are new and may not be in dictionaries yet
- ✓NOT like "slang" (informal words used by groups), neologisms can be formal or informal new words
- ✓NOT like "borrowed word" (taken from another language), neologisms are newly made or newly used in a language
Try Other Words
- •Coinage: a newly made word or phrase (Use when focusing on the act of creating the new word)
- •New word: any recently created or introduced word (Use in simple or informal contexts)
- •Buzzword: a popular new word or phrase often used in business or media (Use when the new word is trendy or fashionable)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "neo-" (new) + "log" (word, speech) + "-ism" (a noun suffix meaning a thing or concept)
- •Etymology: From Greek "neos" meaning new and "logos" meaning word or speech
- •Historical development: First used in the 18th century to describe new words or expressions appearing in language
- •Modern usage: Used in linguistics and everyday language to describe new words created to express new ideas or technologies
Reflect & Connect
•What new words have you learned recently that could be called neologisms?
•How do neologisms help languages grow and change over time?
Fill in the blanks
1.The word "selfie" is a neologism because it was ___ created to describe a new kind of photo.
2.Neologisms often appear when new ___ or ideas need new words.
3.Unlike old dictionary words, neologisms may not be ___ by everyone yet.
4.When a company name becomes a verb, it can become a ___.
5.People use neologisms to ___ new technology or social trends.
6.A neologism is different from slang because it can be ___ or formal.
7.If a word has a new meaning but the same spelling, it is also a ___.