nonword

[ non-wurd ]

noun

1. a word that is not recognized or accepted as legitimate, as one produced by a spelling or typographical error.
2. a word whose meaning or use is not approved in a given circumstance:

   “Failure” is a nonword in her vocabulary.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nonword¹

First recorded in 1960–65; non- + word

Example Sentences

I think that’s her favorite nonword.

From Literature

“Semantic paraphasia involves choosing the incorrect words . . . Phonemic paraphasia, which is linked to the moderate to severe stages of Alzheimer’s, is described as ‘the substitution of a word with a nonword that preserves at least half of the segments and/or number of syllables of the intended word.'”

From Salon

Twenty years later, I carry that nonword around like a sacred incantation, a prayer I say to the rising sun each day: DEODOTANT.

From New York Times

Clinton tweeted back "People in covfefe houses shouldn't throw covfefe," a dig at Trump for tweeting the mystifying nonword.

From Time

Clinton tweeted back “People in covfefe houses shouldn’t throw covfefe,” a dig at Trump for tweeting the mystifying nonword.

From Seattle Times