Neologism is a word that is new (15 to 20 years or less) but older and used more than a protologism. Neologisms are often directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event. (Greek: a "new word", or the act of creating a new word) is a synonym for it. The term "neologism" was first used in English in 1772, borrowed from French "néologisme" (1734).