newfangled

adjective

new·​fan·​gled ˈnü-ˈfaŋ-gəld How to pronounce newfangled (audio)
1
: attracted to novelty
2
: of the newest style or kind
had many newfangled gadgets in the kitchen
newfangledness noun

Did you know?

Newfangled is actually a pretty old word. It dates all the way back to the 15th century, and likely developed from the even older adjective newfangle, which probably derives from a combination of the Middle English newe, meaning new, and the Old English fangol, from a verb meaning "to take." In its earliest documented uses, newfangled described a person who was fond of new things, fashions, or ideas. Current usage indicates that newfangled is used—sometimes deprecatingly—to describe anything that is new, hip, hot, or happening, while other times it is used with irony for something—such as rock music—that might have been new at one time but is hardly new anymore.

Examples of newfangled in a Sentence

His grandson owns all of the latest newfangled electronics. the newfangled speech used by teenagers
Recent Examples on the Web System designers emphasize that this isn’t some newfangled version of a cheap subwoofer in a teenager’s Subaru. Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2024 Courts have occasionally struggled with newfangled technologies. Alex Reisner, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 However, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo found that nearly a third of returns were because users couldn’t figure out how to set up the $3,500 newfangled technology. Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 This year more folks are prioritizing travel and newfangled experiences. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 April 28, 2023 On a familiar Friday night dominated by first names and nicknames and ancient chants, these newfangled Lakers resoundingly lived up to their legacy. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2023 Andrew Cunningham The other nice thing about the Laptop 16 design is its charger, which at 180 W could be gigantic but is actually relatively svelte thanks to newfangled gallium nitride (GaN) technology. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2024 The biggest difference about this album may lie in the downright newfangled way he’s chosen to release the material, in piecemeal isolation, before giving us the big data dump. Chris Willman, Variety, 5 Dec. 2023 String pinsetters mean big savings, maybe salvation, for an industry losing customers to video games and other newfangled entertainment. David Wharton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'newfangled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from newefangel, from new + Old English *-fangol, from fōn (past participle fangen) to take, seize — more at pact

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of newfangled was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near newfangled

Cite this Entry

“Newfangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/newfangled. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

newfangled

adjective
new·​fan·​gled ˈn(y)ü-ˈfaŋ-gəld How to pronounce newfangled (audio)
: of the newest style : novel
newfangled ideas
a newfangled contraption

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