often capitalized
: propagandistic language marked by euphemism, circumlocution, and the inversion of customary meanings

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Newspeak Comes From 1984

The term newspeak was coined by George Orwell in his 1949 anti-utopian novel 1984. In Orwell's fictional totalitarian state, Newspeak was a language favored by the minions of Big Brother and, in Orwell's words, "designed to diminish the range of thought." Newspeak was characterized by the elimination or alteration of certain words, the substitution of one word for another, the interchangeability of parts of speech, and the creation of words for political purposes. The word has caught on in general use to refer to confusing or deceptive bureaucratic jargon.

Examples of newspeak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
We shouldn’t be fooled by the newspeak descriptions of SB 1524. Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 12 June 2024 Many scientists produced by such a model will devote themselves to promoting trendy left-wing newspeak rather than advancing humanity’s understanding of the world. Andrew Follett, National Review, 12 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Newspeak, a language "designed to diminish the range of thought," in the novel 1984 (1949) by George Orwell

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of newspeak was in 1949

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Cite this Entry

“Newspeak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/newspeak. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

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