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Have you heard about the 850 new words that were added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary?
“The language doesn’t take a vacation, and neither does the dictionary. The words we use are constantly changing in big ways and small, and we’re here to record those changes. Each word has taken its own path in its own time to become part of our language—to be used frequently enough by some in order to be placed in a reference for all.”
These are the words spoken by Merriam-Webster.com in a statement on their site as they prepared to add 850 words to the dictionary. While many of the words and terms they added may not sound new to you, they were not considered “real” words until now. Language naturally evolves with time, and new words are always being created. With the mass adoption of social media, the internet, and texting, t’s even more difficult to keep up with all the new words and abbreviations that are being used. Merriam-Webster regularly tracks up-and-coming words to add to their dictionary.
However, many grammar purists may be dismayed by some of the new words being added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Unfortunately for them, Meriam-Webster doesn’t care about how proper or improper a word seems, but rather if it is adopted by a lot of people and if people are likely to run into the word in their day-to-day lives. According to the Boston Globe, Merriam-Webster.com’s associate editor, Emily Brewster, said: “These new words have been added to the dictionary because they have become established members of the English language, and are terms people are likely to encounter.”
So while some of these words may spark rants on our declining language, I for one am glad that I’ll no longer have to turn to Urban Dictionary to decode these unfamiliar words.
So what new words were added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary?
While it would be a bit overwhelming to list all 850 new words and phrases added to the dictionary, we’ve pulled some highlights here.
- Cryptocurrency: any form of currency that only exists digitally, that usually has no central issuing or regulating authority but instead uses a decentralized system to record transactions and manage the issuance of new units, and that relies on cryptography to prevent counterfeiting and fraudulent transactions.
- Initial coin offering: the first sale of a cryptocurrency to the public conducted for the purpose of raising funds (as to support a start-up).
- Kombucha: a gelatinous mass of symbiotic bacteria (as Acetobacter xylinum) and yeasts (as of the genera Brettanomyces and Saccharomyces) grown to produce a fermented beverage held to confer health benefits.
- Self-care: care for oneself – stroke victims capable of daily self-care – the necessity of busy working parents to take time for self-care; specifically: health care provided by oneself often without the consultation of a medical professional.
- Wordie: a lover of words.
- Dumpster fire: an utterly calamitous or mismanaged situation or occurrence.
- Glamping: outdoor camping with amenities and comforts (such as beds, electricity, and access to indoor plumbing) not usually used when camping.
- Mansplain: to explain something to a woman in a condescending way that assumes she has no knowledge about the topic.
- Life hack: a usually simple and clever tip or technique for accomplishing some familiar task more easily and efficiently.
- Hate-watch: to watch and take pleasure in laughing at or criticizing (a disliked television show, movie, etc.).
- Neoadjuvant:: of, relating to, or being treatment (such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy) administered before primary cancer treatment (such as surgery) to enhance the outcome of primary treatment.
- Subtweet: a usually mocking or critical tweet that alludes to another Twitter user without including a link to the user’s account and often without directly mentioning the user’s name.
- Embiggen: to make bigger or more expansive.
- Silver Alert: a widely publicized bulletin that alerts the public when an elderly person or a person with a cognitive disability goes missing.
- Harissa: a spicy North African paste made from dried chilies, salt, oil, and other seasonings.
- Kabocha: a winter squash (Curcubita maxima) of Japanese origin that is round with somewhat flattened top and bottom, typically dark green skin usually streaked or mottled with pale green, and yellowish-orange sweet flesh.
- Tzatziki: a Greek yogurt sauce made with cucumbers and garlic.
- Hmm: used to express the action or process of thinking.
- Ooh: used to express amazement, joy, or surprise.
- Mm-hmm: used to indicate agreement, satisfaction, or encouragement to continue speaking.
- Welp: used informally like well (as to introduce a remark expressing resignation or disappointment).
- Chiweenie: a dog that is a cross between a Chihuahua and a dachshund.
How do you feel about the words that were added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary? Let us know in the comments below!
Happy reading.
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Mostly Ridiculous, with the occasional Sensible Insert!!!
Some have been in use for many decades and should be added (like ooh, hmm, and wordie), some come from other cultures but are in use frequently enough in our language to be included (kombucha and tzatziki), and some are new terms that were needed to describe new ideas (cryptocurrency). Others are unnecessary because they are legitimate combinations of other words and don’t need to be included (like dumpster fire and self-care). The slang I really don’t like, but if it is frequently used (I think i read it has to appear in print a certain number of times), it should be included. Guess I need to get a new edition of the dictionary!
True – most listed here I have encountered. Still want to see the rest though.
How interesting !! I would really like to be able to read as to how the dictionary has described these words. (Not all 850 of them all in one go )
Do we need a copy of the re-written dictionary ? Or is there a simpler way ?
Very interested to know .
Our every-day language has certainly changed. Thanks for the update .
Great news for Scrabble lovers
Either way I will have to look almost all of them up.
Embiggen? Because “enlarge” is broken and doesn’t work anymore?
That’s what happens when you let street people who have no education make up words and you do not correct them. One person uses it and then some in his/her entourage pick it up. Soon some so-called journalist hears it and accepts it as a word, even they should know better. Before you know it, it goes on the news and has gone round the world at least a few times and then it is so much in use, the dictionaries fall over themselves to be the first to incorporate it even though they should know better.
You don’t find the Academie Francaise doing that. They systematically reject a new term when there is a perfectly good one already in existence for a term.
What about Shakespeare and his vernacular becoming the normative language in use?
Well Said!!!
You must really like Kombucha. You listed it twice!
I thought it was spelt differently each time
The fault lies entirely with Merriam-Webster who are the ones who listed it twice.
We love it! Just kidding. I’ve removed the duplicate.
I would have liked to see the meanings of these words, as well. I do know some of them. I assume you noticed the duplicate listing for Kombucha?
Thanks for pointing it out. I’ve removed the duplicate.
The Merriam-Webster.com page (https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/new-words-in-the-dictionary-march-2018) has links to definitions of some of these words. You can also do a word search on Merriam-Webster.com.
Interesting, but this link is easy to find. What we need to have is the complete list of 850 words, and even Merriam-Webster is not linking to this complete list.
I couldn’t find any link to the full list of these words. The only thing I did find, was that the news release was put out on March 5, 2018.
Dumpster fire is not new and since the words are still separated, they are self-explanatory and therefore the term does not belong here.
It’s a fire in a dumpster as the term is self-defining.
You said 850 words. Is there a link to the list of new words?
And you’re right about chiweenie, but what about embiggen or mansplain, or wordie? Those are just plain ridiculous.
WELP…ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Self-care should have ALREADY BEEN IN THE DICTIONARY…duh…wait, DOH, there’s one for it……..
I noticed that a number of words at least were foreign words for foods or drinks. We are expanding our repertoires of foods as well as words! Others I didn’t recognize (glamping) and am curious enough to seek out their meaning. I wonder if there is a handy-dandy listing somewhere of all 850 words so we could peruse the list and learn which ones we already know and which ones we need to look up forthwith because we’ve already come in contact with them, but still haven’t sought out their meaning? I love learning new words! I wonder what “glamping” means! I never saw that one before!
Glamorous camping. You might find some of the new words on urbandictioary.com. (Note to self: Ease on over there for a look).
Oh Dear, 23 new words and I have never “met” 12 of them. Do I live in a cave or are they used only by ‘Bookers and Twitterati? That must be it – I have no social media profile and am therefore uneducated.
Then SO AM I…I was blown away by WELP being in there…but I am glad there is a wider understanding now of some of the uses of those words..