New word
/nu wɜrd/
A2
Definition
A "new word" means any word that is new to you or to a language. It can be a word that has just been made or a word you are learning for the first time. People often find new words when reading, listening, or studying a language.
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See It in Action
A word recently learned or discovered by a person
- •I found a new word in my dictionary today.
- •Every time I read, I try to learn one new word.
- •She was excited to use a new word in her essay.
A word recently created or added to a language
- •"Selfie" is a new word that became popular with smartphones.
- •Many new words come from technology and social media.
- •Dictionaries add new words every year as language changes.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "new word" like "word" (A1 word), but one you do not know yet or just appeared
- ✓Picture opening a book and seeing a word you have never read before, like a small surprise
- ✓It's the feeling when you learn a word that helps you understand a story better or talk more clearly
- ✓Sounds like "new" + "word" → imagine a fresh, clean word waiting to be used for the first time
- ✓Remember when you first learned the word "computer"—it was once a new word for many people
- ✓NOT like "old word" which you already know well and use often
- ✓NOT like "common word" which you hear and use every day; a new word is less familiar
- ✓NOT like "slang" which is informal; a new word can be formal or informal
Try Other Words
- •Recent word: a word that appeared or was created recently (Use when emphasizing time of creation)
- •Unknown word: a word you do not know yet (Use when focusing on your personal knowledge)
- •Fresh word: a word that feels new and interesting (Use in informal or creative contexts)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "new" (meaning recent or not known before) + "word" (a unit of language)
- •Etymology: "new" comes from Old English "nīwe," meaning recent or fresh; "word" comes from Old English "word," meaning speech or talk
- •Historical development: The phrase "new word" is a simple combination used to describe unfamiliar or recent words; it has been used as long as people have learned language
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in language learning, dictionaries, and everyday speech to talk about words that are unfamiliar or recently created
Reflect & Connect
•How do you usually find or learn new words in your language study?
•Can a "new word" be old to some people but new to others? How does that change its meaning?
Fill in the blanks
1.When reading a book, I often find a new word that I ___ the meaning of.
2.A new word can come from technology, so it often ___ very fast.
3.If you hear a new word, it might be ___ to your language or just unknown to you.
4.Teachers help students by explaining the ___ of a new word.
5.Dictionaries add new words ___ because languages change all the time.
6.You should try to use a new word in a sentence to ___ it better.
7.Sometimes, a new word is not really new but just ___ by someone learning the language.