A one-occasion wordSourced
Not region-specific · English meaning
A word invented for one occasion has its own label
A nonce word is created for a particular occasion or utterance. Such words appear in jokes, poetry and language experiments. If one becomes established in general use, it is no longer merely a nonce word. A temporary invention can take on a longer life.
Some vocabulary starts with a single immediate need.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Nonce word · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05