Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Late 20th century ·1982
Cyberspace
cybernetics space
- Meaning
- The conceptual space of computer networks and digital interaction.
- Source words
- cybernetics + space
- Coined by
- William Gibson
- Year
- 1982
Background
Gibson coined it in the short story "Burning Chrome" (Omni, July 1982), two years before *Neuromancer* (1984) made it canonical. Gibson said in interviews he liked the sound of the word first and back-formed the definition; it has since become infrastructure.
Late 20th century
Marketing, media, and the early internet. Infomercial, emoticon, workaholic — the coinages name phenomena of mass media and white-collar life. Several predate the decades they're associated with.
Two words, one coinage.
Browse every portmanteau on the shelf — or cross over to the loanwords atlas.