newfound

Newfound is an English adjective and adverb meaning newly found or recently discovered, or more generally newly acquired. It is used to describe discoveries, traits, or states that have recently come into existence, as in newfound courage, newfound wealth, or a newfound appreciation. The word is formed by combining “new” with the past participle “found” and has appeared in English since the early modern period; older or more formal texts sometimes hyphenate the form new-found.

In historical contexts, “new found land” entered into common usage to describe lands that European explorers reported as recently discovered, a term eventually rendered in place names such as Newfoundland, whose name derives from the phrase “new found land” used by explorers like John Cabot in the late 15th century. The modern proper noun Newfoundland is distinct from the generic adjective, though it shares the same etymology.

Use of newfound typically conveys a positive or transformative sense, often in discussions of personal development or economic change. In scientific or technical writing, more precise phrasing such as “newly discovered” or “recently identified” is preferred.