nonce word

noun

A word invented for the occasion, especially to create alliteration or a rhyme.

Similar
nonceoccasionalismcontrivancelogatomepseudowordhapax legomenon
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Meanings

nounnonce word (plural nonce words)

plural nonce words

  1. human sciencesA word invented for the occasion, especially to create alliteration or a rhyme.

    Synonyms: nonce, occasionalism, contrivance, logatome, pseudoword

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA word invented for the occasion, especially to create alliteration or a rhyme.

Similar
nonceoccasionalismcontrivancelogatomepseudoword

More synonyms by meaning

nouna word with a special meaning used for a special occasion

Similar
hapax legomenon
Broader
word
Also see
hapax legomenon

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From for the nonce and word. Coined by James Murray, the influential first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic لَفْظُ مُنَاسَبَة
  • لَفْظُ مُنَاسَبَة (lafẓu munāsaba)word invented for the occasion
Czech okazionalizmus, hapax
  • okazionalizmusword invented for the occasion
  • hapaxword invented for the occasion
Dutch hapax
  • hapaxword invented for the occasion
Estonian juhusõna, okasionaalsõna
  • juhusõnaword invented for the occasion
  • okasionaalsõnaword invented for the occasion
Finnish tilapäismuodoste, keksitty sana
  • tilapäismuodosteword invented for the occasion
  • keksitty sanaword invented for the occasion
French mot ad hoc, hapax
  • mot ad hocword invented for the occasion
  • hapaxword invented for the occasion
German Ad-hoc-Bildung, Ad-hoc-Wortbildung f Augenblicksbildung
  • Ad-hoc-Bildungword invented for the occasion
  • Ad-hoc-Wortbildung f Augenblicksbildungword invented for the occasion
  • Gelegenheitsbildungword invented for the occasion
  • okkasionelle Bildungword invented for the occasion
  • Okkasionalismusword invented for the occasion
Greek λεξιπλασία
  • λεξιπλασία (lexiplasía)word invented for the occasion
Hungarian alkalmi/egyedi szó/szóalkotás, alkalmilag alkotott szó
  • alkalmi/egyedi szó/szóalkotásword invented for the occasion
  • alkalmilag alkotott szóword invented for the occasion
Italian occasionalismo
  • occasionalismoword invented for the occasion
Korean 임시어
  • 임시어 (imsieo)word invented for the occasion
Latvian okazionālisms
  • okazionālismsword invented for the occasion
Norwegian engangsord
  • engangsordword invented for the occasion
Polish okazjonalizm
  • okazjonalizmword invented for the occasion
Portuguese palavra ad hoc
  • palavra ad hocword invented for the occasion
Russian окказионали́зм, га́пакс
  • окказионали́зм (okkazionalízm)word invented for the occasion
  • га́пакс (gápaks)word invented for the occasion
Spanish expresión ad hoc, palabro
  • expresión ad hocword invented for the occasion
  • palabroword invented for the occasion
Swedish tillfällig ordbildning, tillfällighetsbildning
  • tillfällig ordbildningword invented for the occasion
  • tillfällighetsbildningword invented for the occasion
Turkish özel sözcük
  • özel sözcükword invented for the occasion
Cite this entry
APA

nonce word. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonce%20word

MLA

“nonce word.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonce%20word. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nonce word,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nonce%20word.

Source: nonce word on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.