Wordies Rejoice—The Dictionary has been Embiggened!

Springfield, Ma, March 05, 2018 -- Wordie and embiggen join over 850 new words and definitions added to Merriam-Webster.com, the dictionary helping millions of people understand and use language better. These new words and definitions offer a snapshot of how vocabularies evolve and expand, and reflect a wide variety of fields and endeavors, ranging from the technical to the conversational.  

More on How a Word Gets Into the Dictionary, plus an Infographic

Fresh from the headlines are such terms as Silver Alert, “a widely publicized bulletin that alerts the public when an elderly person or a person with a cognitive disability goes missing,” and the metaphorical dumpster fire, a term that has been used to describe disasters of wide-ranging sorts, from politics, to sports teams, to celebrities.

“In order for a word to be added to the dictionary it must have widespread, sustained, and meaningful use,” explains Emily Brewster, Associate Editor at Merriam-Webster.  “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.”

Technology, as always, brings us many new additions including blockchain, “a digital database containing information (such as records of financial transactions) that can be simultaneously used and shared within a large decentralized, publicly accessible network,” as well as cryptocurrency and the related initial coin offering.   

“The one constant of a vibrant living language is change, and English has never been more alive than it is today,” adds Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large at Merriam-Webster.  “In this age of fast communication, and technological and scientific advances, we continuously encounter new ways of describing the world around us—and the dictionary is a record of these changes.”

New culinary terms include harissa, “a spicy North African paste made from dried chilies, salt, oil, and other seasonings,” and kombucha, a fermented beverage held to confer health benefits.

Other notable additions include mansplain, chiweenie, and glamping, a portmanteau of glamour and camping defined as “outdoor camping with amenities and comforts (such as beds, electricity, and access to indoor plumbing) not usually used when camping.”

See a larger selection of new words added—and their definitions—here.

About Merriam-Webster Inc.
For 180 years, in print and now in digital media, Merriam-Webster has been America’s leading and most-trusted provider of language information. Each month, our websites and apps offer guidance to tens of millions of visitors. In print, our publications include Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary (among the best-selling books in American history) and newly published dictionaries for English-language learners. All Merriam-Webster products and services are backed by the largest team of professional dictionary editors and writers in America, and one of the largest in the world.  

For more information, visit Merriam-Webster.com, an official Webby Award Winner for 2017, and follow @MerriamWebster on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Meghan Lunghi
Merriam-Webster Inc.
4137343134 x8152
[email protected]