Search Results for:

1. 

   Winter 2023 New Words: “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once”

   Self-coup, latine, rage farming, petfluencer, nearlywed, hellscape, talmbout, cakeage. Explore the explosive variety of new terms and meanings just added to Dictionary.com.   by Nick Norlen, Senior Editor Historically significant moments. Stunningly advanced AI. Very expensive eggs. There is a lot happening out there, seeming as if it’s everything, everywhere, all at once. The events are relentless, but so is the pace with which language adapts …

2. 

   How Young People Are Redefining “Transgender” And “Nonbinary”

   by Rory Gory March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility, an annual occasion dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of transgender people as well as raising awareness of and advocating for the transgender community. Created in 2009 by Rachel Crandall, Executive Director of Transgender Michigan, Transgender Day of Visibility is a time for recognizing transgender people in a positive light, rather than only centering the conversation …

3. 

   Terms That Show The Diversity Of Jewish American Life

   by Min Straussman In 1585, a mining expert named Joachim Gans landed on Roanoke Island in the New World. He is considered the first Jewish person to visit the Americas. Almost 70 years later, in 1654, the first Jewish community was founded in what was then known as New Amsterdam, and what we today call New York City. They came, like so many other early …

4. 

   Zodiac Signs: Learn the Names, Symbols, and More

   The word zodiac is used in astronomy and astrology to refer to the band of sky over which the sun, moon, and planets move—as seen from Earth, at least. The zodiac contains a number of constellations, and the sun (or other celestial body) is said to be “in” a constellation when it moves into the portion of the zodiac that includes that constellation. The zodiac …

5. 

   New Words Drop! Get The First Look At Our Fall 2023 Collection Of Dictionary Additions

   Information pollution, jawn, decision fatigue, jolabokaflod, grandfamily, NIL, algo, amalgagender. Unbox the new terms and meanings just added to Dictionary.com. by Nick Norlen, Senior Editor, and Grant Barrett, Head of Lexicography Our fall new words drop is here!  The words don’t stop coming, so we’re updating the dictionary more frequently than ever. And not just with any words: this update includes an incredibly useful concentration …

6. 

   100+ Basketball Terms: Modern Slang, Moves, and Rules

   Maybe you’re a diehard hoophead. Or maybe you fill out your March Madness bracket based on mascots. You might know the difference between a double bonus, a double-double, and a double dribble. Or between a one-and-one, one-on-one, and and one. But do you know… What’s the difference between a flagrant 1 and a flagrant 2? Where does the point in point guard come from? What …

7. 

   From The Discourse To The Dictionary: Fall 2022 New Words

   Antiwork, bachelorx party, 45, Ohtani rule, pawternity leave, Zelenskyy. As ever, there is great variety in the new terms and meanings just added to Dictionary.com. by Nick Norlen, Senior Editor, and Heather Bonikowski, Lexicographer Let’s set things straight: a word doesn’t become a “real word” when we add it to the dictionary. It’s actually the other way around: we add a word to the dictionary …

8. 

   Emotional Support Animal vs. Therapy Animal vs. Service Animal

   This September, we released our biggest update to the dictionary ever. Our dictionary editors touched over 15,000 entries in a sweeping effort to reflect the many ways language is evolving. From capitalizing Black to adding a separate entry for Pride to revising references to suicide, our update addresses topics that touch us on some of our most personal levels: race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, …

9. 

   The Cold Hard Facts About 12 Winter Sports Terms

   While there’s an undeniable draw to outdoor activities in the summer sunshine, winter brings its own set of beloved sports. And some of the most popular around the world, of course, are featured in the Winter Olympics every four years. In 2022, some of the world’s best winter athletes showcased their skills in skating, skiing, sledding, and snowboarding competitions in Beijing. Whether you’re a regular …

10. 

    The Words You Need to Know to Talk About Climate Change Today

    Every year on April 22, we celebrate Earth Day and the big blue marble that we all call home. First commemorated in 1970 and now recognized in more than 190 countries, Earth Day is a perfect occasion to think about one of the biggest dangers facing our planet: climate change. As a dictionary, we use this date as an opportunity to document and describe the …

11. 

    “Hispanic” vs. “Latino”: When To Use Each Term

    by Alyssa Pereira From boxes on census forms to drop-down menus on job applications, we often see Hispanic and Latino positioned side by side, seemingly as interchangeable terms to describe the race and heritage of a population that makes up nearly 20% of the United States. It’s easy to see why these two words are so often conflated and frequently confused. But Hispanic and Latino …

12. 

    The Language Legacy Of 9/11: How A Single Day Changed Our Language

    It would be hard to pack more history, context, and visceral meaning into two numbers than we do in the term 9/11. That day changed so much—about the world, modern life, and even the language we use. And so much has changed in the 22 years since. On this anniversary, we’ll look at some of the ways in which the far-reaching consequences of the 9/11 …