conscience
v.— «“We not intimidating people,” said the angry, ugly, picket. “We are just attempting to conscientize them.” It seems that the American belief in the inalienable right of every noun to become a verb is ubiquitous. The politically active have found a new ugly neologism. They are attempting to “conscience” people. It is not clear if the conscientizing brigade are trying to create a conscience, awaken a dormant and sleepy conscience or somehow change and massage an existing conscience.» —“My best deal: drug relieves canine cancer symptoms” by Adrian Furnham Telegraph (United Kingdom) Aug. 2, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
How do social media algorithms shape the way we communicate? A new book argues that the competition for clicks is changing the way we speak and write, from the so-called “YouTube accent” to the surprising evolution of the word preppy. Also: A...
Nancy Friedman is a naming and branding expert with a fantastic newsletter about language, Fritinancy which recently covered the neologism stinge-watching. It’s the opposite of binge-watching, and refers to the act of spacing out viewings of a...