Word of the Day

: January 28, 2015

retronym

noun REH-troh-nim

What It Means

: a term (such as analog watch or snail mail) that is newly created and adopted to distinguish the original or older version, form, or example of something from other, more recent versions, forms, or examples

retronym in Context

"… first came paperback book, differentiated from a book with a cloth or leather binding, provoking the retronym hardcover book." - William Safire, The New York Times Magazine, November 18, 2007

''Nowadays we need such distinctions as free-range chickens, birth mother, natural blonde, … and manual toothbrushes. The faster we advance, the more retronyms we enlist." - David Astle, Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, November 1, 2014

Did You Know?

Remember way back when cameras used film? Back then, such devices were simply called cameras; they weren't specifically called film cameras until they needed to be distinguished from the digital cameras that came later. Similarly, the term desktop computer wasn't often used until laptops became prevalent. A lot of our common retronyms have come about due to technological advances: acoustic guitar emerged to contrast with electric guitar, and brick-and-mortar store to distinguish traditional stores from online retailers. Retronym was coined by Frank Mankiewicz, an American journalist and former president of National Public Radio, and first seen in print in 1980.