Tag Archives: interest-currentevents
-
-
Dictionary.com Releases Its Biggest Update Ever
Over 15,000 entries updated on topics ranging from race and sexual orientation to climate and internet culture The unprecedented events of 2020, from the pandemic to the protests, have profoundly changed our lives—and language. As we explained in our April additions to the dictionary, COVID-19 rapidly introduced an array of new and newly prominent technical terms to our everyday vocabularies, including asymptomatic, viral load, and …
-
Nazi vs. Fascist: Is There Really A Difference?
Fascist and Nazi: these two words loom large in the history books and in heated conversations about politics—conversations that have far outlasted the regimes that originally embraced them. For many of us, the words fascist and Nazi bring to mind the worst dictators and crimes against humanity. But as these ideologies make the news in 2020, used especially in the context of a growing concern about …
-
What’s The Difference Between “Mistrust” vs. “Distrust”?
Trust us on this one. There’s only a slight difference between these two. In general, distrust and mistrust are considered synonyms, both based on the word trust (although centuries apart). As nouns, both words refer to a condition of lacking trust, and are effectively interchangeable. As verbs, well, it’s a bit more complicated, as you’ll see. What’s the origin of trust? The word trust is first …
-
Where Did The Phrase “Thoughts And Prayers” Come From?
From mass shootings to natural disasters, it seems like every day, there’s a new tragedy on the news. With social media amplifying these stories, more and more people are offering their condolences than ever before. And one of the most popular phrases online? “Thoughts and prayers.” While theories on the history of the phrase “thoughts and prayers” vary, it is often traced back to the …
-
“Contagious” vs. “Infectious”: The Difference Can Be Important
by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com Whether it’s flu season, chickenpox at your kid’s school, concerns about measles in your town, or the coronavirus pandemic, the words contagious and infectious often come around in news and social media, in casual conversations and government communications. While these two terms get used interchangeably, knowing the difference between them can, in some cases, be life-saving. To …
-
These Are The Most Searched Words In Your State During The Pandemic
You probably don’t need any data to know that 2020 has been like no other year in recent history—and it’s only half over. But, for those of us fortunate enough to have the opportunity to reflect, some data can help us take stock at this midyear mark on just how transformative 2020 has been. All around the world, COVID-19 has changed our health, jobs, relationships, …
-
How The George Floyd Protests Have Powerfully Changed Search Trends on Dictionary.com
The protests against racism and police brutality, spurred by George Floyd—a Black man who was killed after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes—have expanded in size and scope across the entire world. The protests have, in turn, spurred the beginnings of everything from deep, uncomfortable reflections to institutional change and reform. And Dictionary.com has seen significant search …
-
Canceled vs. Cancelled: Which Is Spelled Correctly?
by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com From March Madness and SXSW to birthday parties and spring break vacations, many gatherings, big and small, have been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak around the world. … or is it cancelled? Now, spelling may seem like the least of our worries during these trying and unusual times, but many people are curious and still want …
-
Black Lives Matter And 9 Other Influential Calls To Action You Should Know
Black Lives Matter is a powerful political and social movement aiming to ensure basic human rights for Black people. Many people are familiar with the name of the movement as it is used amid protests against violence inflicted on Black people involving police officers, including the death of George Floyd in 2020. As the movement has expanded all around the world, many may not know …
-
Deep Web vs. Dark Web: What’s The Difference?
Have you ever wandered the recesses of the deep web and dark web? Or have you simply wondered what these expressions mean? These two terms are just as mysterious as they sound, but they’re not synonyms, despite how similar they may seem at first glance. There’s a lot of confusion out there about how to distinguish between these two terms, which both define hidden aspects of the Internet. …
-
5 More Pandemic Words & Phrases People Want To Stop Hearing
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so too does the repetitive language people are using to talk about it. After a while, it gets exhausting hearing the same words over and over again in every article, tweet, and news broadcast. A few weeks ago, we rounded up the overused pandemic words and phrases our Twitter followers told us they were absolutely tired of hearing. The list …
