ENGLISH
REFERENCE

coinage

n. C / U
C1 Advanced US //ˈkɔɪnɪdʒ// UK //kˈɔɪnɪdʒ// coinage

n. a new word or phrase that someone has recently invented. It can also mean the metal coins used as money in a country.

n. the invention of a new word or phrase; alternatively, the system of metal currency in use within a specific economy. Often refers to the first instance of a term being used in literature or speech.


SIMPLE

The word 'blog' is a relatively recent coinage.

CONTEXTUAL

Shakespeare is credited with the coinage of hundreds of English words that are still in common use today.

COMPLEX

While some linguistic innovations are forgotten within weeks, a successful coinage fills a specific conceptual gap and eventually becomes indistinguishable from the established lexicon.

Synonyms
Origin

Inherited from Middle English coynage, from Old French coignage, from coignier. By surface analysis, coin + -age.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general system of coins; countable when referring to specific invented words.

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