Word of the Day

: October 2, 2009

neologism

noun nee-AH-luh-jiz-um

What It Means

1 : a new word, usage, or expression

2 : a meaningless word coined by a psychotic

neologism in Context

The novelist’s latest book is peppered with numerous slang words and neologisms that might not be familiar to some readers.

Did You Know?

The English language is constantly picking up neologisms. Recently, for example, computer technology has added a number of new terms to the language. "Webinar," "malware," "netroots," and "blogosphere" are just a few examples of modern-day neologisms that have been integrated into American English. The word "neologism" was itself a brand-new coinage at the beginning of the 19th century, when English speakers first borrowed it from the French "nèologisme." Its roots, however, are quite old. Ultimately, "neologism" comes from Greek "neos" (meaning "new") and "logos" (meaning "word").