neologism

/niːˈɒləd͡ʒɪzəm/

//niːˈɒləd͡ʒɪzəm// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"neologism" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“neologism” is uncommon English (frequency #94,041 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#94,041
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A word or phrase which has recently been coined; a new word or phrase.

Corpus desk

Index EN-neologism · neologism · English

neologism · rank #94,041 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #94,041
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH necessaries

Nearest frequency peer: necessaries (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “neologism”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “neologism” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for neologism
PropertyValue
Headwordneologism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/niːˈɒləd͡ʒɪzəm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#94,041
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “neologism” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).neologismfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “necessaries” (#94,039), “Nesmith” (#94,043), “nebulizer” (#94,038). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “neologism” is #94,041. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

neologism is uncommon English at frequency #94,041 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /niːˈɒləd͡ʒɪzəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for neologism, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French néologisme, from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “new”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”) + -ism. The correct English form is neologism, spelled N-E-O-L-O-G-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A word or phrase which has recently been coined; a new word or phrase.
  2. 2
    An existing word or phrase which has gained a new meaning.
  3. 3
    The act or instance of coining, or uttering a new word.
  4. 4
    The newly coined, meaningless words or phrases of someone with a psychosis, usually schizophrenia.
  5. 5
    Synonym of neology.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how neologism appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. These neologisms demonstrate the cumulative quality of language, in which we use the known to describe the unknown.
  2. 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.

Etymology

From French néologisme, from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “new”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”) + -ism.

Antonyms

paleologism

This word in other languages

neologismo(Español)néologisme(Français)Neologismus(Deutsch)neologismo(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "neologism"?
"neologism" is spelled N-E-O-L-O-G-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /niːˈɒləd͡ʒɪzəm/.
What does "neologism" mean?
As a noun, "neologism" means: A word or phrase which has recently been coined; a new word or phrase.
How do you pronounce "neologism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "neologism" is /niːˈɒləd͡ʒɪzəm/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "neologism"?
From French néologisme, from Ancient Greek νέος (néos, “new”) + λόγος (lógos, “word”) + -ism. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "neologism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nebulizer#94,038MetroCard#93,990McTaggart#93,975McQuarrie#93,974

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list