neologism
neologism — 名詞
1. a word or phrase that has recently been invented to describe a new idea, technol
新詞
新創造的詞語或舊詞的新用法
a word or phrase that has recently been invented to describe a new idea, technology, or social trend, or an existing word that has developed a fresh meaning for a similar purpose
The word 'selfie' began as an informal neologism in online forums before entering standard English.
「selfie」這個詞最初是在網路論壇上作為非正式的新詞出現，後來才成為標準英語的一部分。
neologism naming a new social trend
When people start ignoring calls, a neologism such as 'ghosting' often arises to describe the behaviour.
當人們開始不接電話時，像「ghosting」這類新詞就會出現，用來描述這種行為。
pattern: neologism such as + [example]
Every spring, dictionary editors review hundreds of neologisms and decide which ones to add.
每年春天，字典編輯都會審查數百個新詞，並決定哪些要收錄。
The linguistics professor asked Eleni to find five recent neologisms in technology magazines.
語言學教授請 Eleni 從科技雜誌中找出五個近期出現的新詞。
Noor learned the neologism 'doomscrolling' from her therapist, who used it to describe her late-night news habit.
Noor 從她的治療師那裡學到了「doomscrolling」這個新詞，治療師用這個詞來形容她睡前瀏覽壞消息的習慣。
- coinage
Similar meaning but also refers to the process of inventing words, not just the result; slightly more formal.
- new word
Everyday English equivalent; less technical and more accessible to general readers.
- made-up word
Informal and sometimes dismissive; suggests deliberate invention rather than natural emergence.
- portmanteau
A specific type of neologism created by blending two words (e.g. 'brunch' from 'breakfast' + 'lunch').
- archaism
An old word or expression that has fallen out of common use, the opposite of a newly created word.
- obsolete word
A word no longer in active use; contrasts with a neologism that is entering the language.
文法句型
neologism + for + [concept/behaviour]
neologism + such as + [example]
coin + a + neologism
用法筆記
Frequently appears in discussions of language change, technology, and popular culture rather than in everyday conversation. The term is a countable noun; one may speak of 'a neologism' or 'neologisms' in general. The verb 'neologize' exists but is rare — most English speakers say 'coin a new word' instead.