A portmanteau is a word created by blending sounds and meanings from multiple other words (e.g., friend + enemy = frenemy). Portmanteaus describe concepts or phenomena in a concise, easily understood, and sometimes amusing way.

Portmanteau examples

Our athleisure line combines the comfort of athletic wear with the style of streetwear. (athletic + leisure)

I recorded a vlog documenting my search for the perfect Christmas tree. (video + log)

Fans cosplay as their favorite characters at the convention. (costume + play)

We watched a sci-fi movie about a cyborg that has human emotions combined with the strength of a robot. (cybernetic + organism)

Portmanteaus are a common part of everyday language, with many originating in domains like marketing, social media, technology, entertainment, or literature.

What is a portmanteau?

A portmanteau (or blend word) is a word formed by combining the sounds and meanings of other words (e.g., gigantic + enormous = ginormous). Most portmanteaus combine two words, but rare exceptions like “turducken” (turkey + duck + chicken) combine more than two.

Portmanteaus are a type of neologism (Latin for “new word”). Neologisms, which include other linguistic phenomena such as acronyms, initialisms, coinages, and loan words, are an essential part of the evolution of language. These new words often reflect changes in society, technology, or culture.

New portmanteaus often originate in specific niches, such as marketing, technology, news media, or social media, where there’s a need for a succinct and catchy term to describe a new concept or product (e.g., “podcast” was coined to describe an “iPod broadcast”).

Over time, portmanteaus often become part of everyday language as they gain widespread usage and recognition. Some remain informal despite becoming popular (e.g., “staycation,” combining “stay” and “vacation”), while others become standard and lose their sense of novelty (e.g., “email,” meaning “electronic mail”).

Note

The plural noun form of “portmanteau” is most often spelled “portmanteaus” in modern US English. However, “portmanteaux” is also an accepted spelling, reflecting the word’s French origins.

Portmanteau meaning

The term “portmanteau” blends the French words “porter” (to carry) and “manteau” (coat). It was originally the name of a suitcase with two distinct compartments used for carrying coats and other clothing.

Novelist Lewis Carroll is credited with first comparing the portmanteau suitcase to the phenomenon of blended words. In Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, the character Humpty Dumpty coins the term “slithy” (lithe + slimy) and explains that his newly formed word is “like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word.”

Portmanteau examples

Examples of portmanteaus are common in everyday conversations, as well as many professional domains such as media and marketing. Some portmanteaus are so familiar and widely accepted that you might not have realized they are portmanteaus (e.g., “electrocute”), while others are newer and less widely used (e.g., “glamping”).

Portmanteau examples

advertorial (advertisement + editorial)

affluenza (affluence + influenza)

Bennifer (Ben Affleck + Jennifer Lopez)

bit (binary + digit)

chortle (chuckle + snort)

docudrama (documentary + drama)

digerati (digital + literati)

edutainment (education + entertainment)

electrocute (electricity + execute)

emoticon (emotion + icon)

fashionista (fashion + -ista)

frappuccino (frappe + cappuccino)

glamping (glamorous + camping)

greenwash (green + whitewash)

guesstimate (guess + estimate)

infomercial (information + commercial)

internet (international + network)

liger (lion + tiger)

listicle (list + article)

moped (motor + pedal)

motel (motor + hotel)

netiquette (internet + etiquette)

netizen (internet + citizen)

pixel (picture + element)

popsicle (pop/lollipop + icicle)

simulcast (simultaneous + broadcast)

sitcom (situational + comedy)

spork (spoon + fork)

televangelist (television + evangelist)

turducken (turkey + duck + chicken)

webinar (web + seminar)

workaholic (work + alcoholic)

Frequently asked questions about portmanteaus

Shabo, M. (2024, May 15). What Is a Portmanteau? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024.

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