loanword

Definition of loanwordnext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of loanword Which brings us to the ménage à trois — for some things, only a French loanword will do — between Hayley, Yasmin, and Henry, which exists at the opposite end of the boundary-setting spectrum. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2026 For instance, people, a French loanword, may be spelled peple, pepill, poeple, or poepul. Big Think, 10 Apr. 2025 The newest dictionary additions include loanwords from Southeast Asia, South Africa and Ireland. Peter Guo, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025 In fact, Mandarin itself used thousands of loanwords from Japanese and English when new disciplines such as sociology and natural science entered China’s curricula a mere century ago. Tenzin Dorjee, Foreign Affairs, 28 Nov. 2023 During this period, more than 10,000 loanwords from French entered the English language, mostly in domains where the aristocracy held sway: the arts, military, medicine, law and religion. Phillip M. Carter, Fortune Well, 12 June 2023 Most English loanwords borrow from languages that, like English, use the Latin alphabet. Sarah Bunin Benor, The Conversation, 21 May 2020 With the mega-success of Starbucks and its various coffee competitors, BARISTA has transformed from a somewhat niche Italian loanword to a term most everyone not only knows but uses regularly. Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loanword
Noun
  • Are these neologisms diagnosing modern phenomena or illuminating preëxisting cultural realities?
    Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2025
  • These neologisms weren’t just clever.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • This book is a deeply scholarly, policy-relevant history of money, from the advent of coinage, paper currency, and bank money in ancient, medieval, and early modern times to the stablecoins and central bank digital currencies of today and tomorrow.
    Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
  • Wednesday’s unveiling follows several splashy moves around U.S. coinage in recent months.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • Her vetting crusades have brought about a new Washington colloquialism.
    Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
  • The show chugged along nonetheless, gradually attracting fans who adored its stark cinematography and weirdo colloquialisms.
    Claire McNear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Now there were no euphemisms for Germany’s leader.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Early critics have called it ‘compassionate,’ which might sound like a euphemism for treacly or didactic.
    Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • In terms of refusal rate, Fairfax County trailed slightly behind all of the top non-cooperating jails in Los Angeles County combined, according to the detainer data.
    Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Although other Democratic governors and public health leaders have openly criticized the federal government, few have been as outspoken as Newsom, who is considering a run for president in 2028 and is in his second and final term as governor.
    Angela Hart, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Additionally, young architects in particular felt that modernism represented little more than an aesthetic language, and sought to create structures rooted in functionalism and monumental expression.
    Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 2 Mar. 2026
  • But both play with a little breathing room between the gems, giving these designs a distinct sense of modernism and lightness.
    Jill Newman, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Loanword.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loanword. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.

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