Nonce words are words that are created and used for a unique occasion.  In essence, they are made-up words. The word “nonce” is an old English word referring to “one time” implying that nonce words are for one time use only. For example, William Faulkner used mileconsuming in Light in August, and it has not be used since:

“the wagon beginning to fall into slow and mileconsuming clatter” (p8).

Mileconsuming is a nonce word since it did not exist before Faulkner’s use of it in this work.  If used more than the initial time, a nonce word may go on to become either slang or a legitimate word.

Dictioneer is one example of an old English nonce word that became popular. It is a noun meaning “a person who takes it upon himself or herself to criticize diction or writing style.”

A nonce word may be confusing to your reader since you may be the only one who understands the meaning.  When writing poetry or fiction, like Light in August, nonce words can be useful, but when writing formally, where clarity is important, nonce words may hinder the purpose of a document.

If you find yourself in a predicament where you are tempted to create and use a nonce word, try using a thesaurus instead.  If a hardcopy is not handy, Microsoft Word has one under the Tool menu.  Online, Dictionary.com & Merriam Webster have thesauruses that are very helpful. There’s even a visual thesaurus for visual learners.

Nonce (n)

Definition adapted from Dictionary.com.

In addition to the resources above, our website also has a wide range of handouts that can help you find the right word.

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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