adj.  new·er, new·est  1.  Having been made or come into being only a short time ago; recent: a new law. 2.  a.  Still fresh: a new coat of paint. b.  Never used or worn before now: a new car; a new hat. 3.  Just found, discovered, or learned: new information. 4.  Not previously experienced or encountered; novel or unfamiliar: ideas new to her. 5.  Different from the former or the old: the new morality. 6.  Recently obtained or acquired: new political power; new money. 7.  Additional; further: new sources of energy. 8.  Recently arrived or established in a place, position, or relationship: new neighbors; a new president. 9.  Changed for the better; rejuvenated: The nap has made a new person of me. 10.  Being the later or latest in a sequence: a new edition. 11.  Currently fashionable: a new dance. 12.   New In the most recent form, period, or development. 13.  Inexperienced or unaccustomed: new at the job; new to the trials of parenthood. 14.  Of or relating to a new moon. adv.  Freshly; recently. Often used in combination: new-mown. [Middle English newe, from Old English nīwe, nēowe; see  newo- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] newness n. Synonyms:  new, fresh, novel2, original These adjectives describe what has existed for only a short time, has only lately come into use, or has only recently arrived at a state or position, as of prominence. New is the most general: a new movie; a new friend; a new opportunity. Something fresh has qualities of newness such as briskness, brightness, or purity: fresh footprints in the snow; fresh hope of discovering a vaccine. Novel applies to the new and strikingly unusual: "His sermons were considered bold in thought and novel in language" (Edith Wharton). Something that is original is novel and the first of its kind: "The science of pure mathematics, in its modern development, may claim to be the most original creation of the human spirit" (Alfred North Whitehead).  | 
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.







