Meaning & use
coining
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“coining” is a form of “coin”.
Meanings
verbtransitive
The -ing form of coin: inventing a new word or phrase.
Grammar: Takes an object: she is coining a new term.
Patterns
- coining a word
- coining a phrase
The author is credited with coining the word 'cyberspace'.
She enjoyed coining new terms for her science-fiction stories.
He was coining catchy slogans for the campaign all morning.
verbtransitivetechnical
The -ing form of coin: making metal money by stamping it.
Grammar: Takes an object: they are coining silver pieces.
Patterns
- coining money
- coining coins
The royal mint spent years coining silver pennies.
Workers were coining special medals for the anniversary.
The government began coining new coins with a different design.
noununcountabletechnical
The process or craft of producing coins, or the act of inventing a new expression.
Grammar: No plural: the coining of the term was controversial.
Patterns
- the coining of something
The coining of the term 'emoji' happened in Japan.
Historians study the early coining of gold in the region.
Word forms
| base form | coin |
|---|---|
| third person singular | coins |
| past tense | coined |
Common combinations
- coining a phrase
- He is known for coining a phrase that everyone now uses.
- coining a term
- The economist is credited with coining the term.
- coining money
- The mint is busy coining money for the new year.
- coining a word
- Coining a word is easier than getting people to use it.
- the coining of
- The coining of new slang is constant among teenagers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inventing
- Inventing is general and covers machines and ideas, while coining refers to creating words or expressions.
- creating
- Creating is broader, and coining implies the new word or phrase catches on or gets recorded.
- minting
- Minting is used for making money, but it is also less common for new words.
- devising
- Devising suggests careful planning of a method or plan, not simply a new word.
Word family
- coin noun
- a small piece of metal used as money
- coinage noun
- a newly invented word, or a system of coins
- coined adjective
- newly invented, as in a coined term
- coiner noun
- a person who coins words or money
Commonly confused: coining or joining? coining or quoting?
coining vs joining
Joining means connecting or becoming part of something; coining means inventing a word or making coins.
coining vs quoting
Quoting repeats someone else's exact words, while coining creates new ones.
Practice
The writer is famous for ______ the word 'doomscrolling' and spreading it online.
Choose one answer.
Coining means inventing a new word. Quoting and borrowing suggest the word already existed, and correcting changes an error.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “coining”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.