Meanings
nounneologism (countable and uncountable, plural neologisms)
plural neologisms
- countablehuman sciencesA word or phrase which has recently been coined; a new word or phrase.
These neologisms demonstrate the cumulative quality of language, in which we use the known to describe the unknown.
2015 July 15, Roc Morin, “How to Say Everything in a Hundred-Word Language”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 03 Feb 2017 - broadlycountablehuman sciencesAn existing word or phrase which has gained a new meaning.
- uncountablehuman sciencesThe act or instance of coining, or uttering a new word.
Neologizing, the practice of coining new words, may seem to be an arcane, specialized activity, but it's everywhere -- and the skillful employment of neologism is what gives English much of its verve.
2002 August 25, Erin McKean, “THE WAY WE LIVE NOW: 8-25-02: ON LANGUAGE; Neologist”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 23 Mar 2021 - countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe newly coined, meaningless words or phrases of someone with a psychosis, usually schizophrenia.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of neology.
Similar
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekνέος“new”
- Frenchnéologisme
- Englishneologism
From French néologisme, from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “new”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”) + -ism.
More words from French, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مُوَلَّدَة, تَوْلِيد
- مُوَلَّدَة (muwallada)recently coined word
- تَوْلِيد (tawlīd)instance of coinage
Basque neologismo
- neologismorecently coined word
Bulgarian неологизъм
- неологизъм (neologizăm)recently coined word
Catalan neologisme
- neologismerecently coined word
Chinese Mandarin 新詞語 /新词语, 新詞 /新词
- 新詞語 /新词语 (xīncíyǔ)recently coined word
- 新詞 /新词 (xīncí)recently coined word
Czech novotvar, neologismus
- novotvarrecently coined word
- neologismusrecently coined word
Danish neologisme
- neologismerecently coined word
Dutch neologisme
- neologismerecently coined word
Esperanto neologismo
- neologismorecently coined word
Estonian uudissõna, neologism
- uudissõnarecently coined word
- neologismrecently coined word
Finnish uudismuodoste, uudissana
- uudismuodosterecently coined word
- uudissanarecently coined word
French néologisme
- néologismerecently coined word
German Neologismus
- Neologismusrecently coined word
Greek νεολογισμός, νεολογισμός
- νεολογισμός (neologismós)recently coined word
- νεολογισμός (neologismós)schizophrenic meaningless word
Hebrew תַּחְדִּישׁ
- תַּחְדִּישׁ (takhdish)recently coined word
Hindi नवशब्द
- नवशब्द (navśabd)recently coined word
Hungarian neologizmus, új szó
- neologizmusrecently coined word
- új szórecently coined word
- újonnan alkotott szórecently coined word
- szóalkotásinstance of coinage
- szóújításinstance of coinage
Icelandic nýyrði
- nýyrðirecently coined word
Irish nuafhocal
- nuafhocalrecently coined word
Italian neologismo
- neologismorecently coined word
Japanese 新語, 新造語
- 新語 (shingo)recently coined word
- 新造語 (shinzōgo)recently coined word
- 造語 (zōgo)recently coined word
Korean 신어, 신조어
- 신어 (sineo)recently coined word
- 신조어 (sinjo'eo)recently coined word
Latin neologismus
- neologismusrecently coined word
Latvian jaunvārds, neoloģisms
- jaunvārdsrecently coined word
- neoloģismsrecently coined word
Lithuanian naujadaras, neologizmas
- naujadarasrecently coined word
- neologizmasrecently coined word
Norwegian neologisme
- neologismeschizophrenic meaningless word
Norwegian Bokmål neologisme, nyord
- neologismerecently coined word
- nyordrecently coined word
Norwegian Nynorsk neologisme
- neologismerecently coined word
Persian نوواژه
- نوواژه (now-vâže)recently coined word
Polish neologizm, nowosłów
- neologizmrecently coined word
- nowosłówrecently coined word
- nowosłowierecently coined word
- nowotwórrecently coined word
- neologizminstance of coinage
- nowosłówinstance of coinage
- nowosłowieinstance of coinage
- nowotwórinstance of coinage
- nonsensowne słowoschizophrenic meaningless word
Portuguese neologismo
- neologismorecently coined word
Romanian neologism
- neologismrecently coined word
Russian неологи́зм
- неологи́зм (neologízm)recently coined word
Slovak neologizmus
- neologizmusrecently coined word
Spanish neologismo
- neologismorecently coined word
Swedish neologism
- neologismrecently coined word
Turkish yenici deyim, neolojizm
- yenici deyimrecently coined word
- neolojizmrecently coined word
- türentirecently coined word
- yenicillikrecently coined word
- yenicil deyimrecently coined word
Welsh newyddair
- newyddairrecently coined word
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
neologism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neologism
MLA
“neologism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neologism. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “neologism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neologism.
Source: neologism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.