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

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.
For instance, people, a French loanword, may be spelled peple, pepill, poeple, or poepul. — Big Think, 10 Apr. 2025 Most English loanwords borrow from languages that, like English, use the Latin alphabet. — Sarah Bunin Benor, The Conversation, 21 May 2020 The English language comprises a hodgepodge of words borrowed from all over the globe, and a wide variety of those loanwords hail from the languages of India. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026 The newest dictionary additions include loanwords from Southeast Asia, South Africa and Ireland. — Peter Guo, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025 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 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

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of loanword was in 1869

Browse Nearby Words

loan value
loanword
loas
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Loanword.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loanword. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about loanword

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All