loanword

noun

loan·​word ˈlōn-ˌwərd How to pronounce loanword (audio)
Synonyms of loanwordnext
: a word taken from another language and at least partly naturalized

Examples of loanword in a Sentence

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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.
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

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loanword was in 1869

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“Loanword.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loanword. Accessed 20 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

loanword

noun
loan·​word ˈlōn-ˌwərd How to pronounce loanword (audio)
: a word that is taken into one language from another

More from Merriam-Webster on loanword

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for loanword

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