Tag Archives: interest-newwords

1. 

   From “Generation A” To “Zeitgeisty”: Over 200 New Words And Definitions Added To Dictionary.com

   by Nick Norlen, Research Editor, and Heather Bonikowski, Lexicographer The latest update to Dictionary.com reflects our mission to help make sense of the world through words. Of the hundreds of newly added terms, some define our times, notably those related to the ongoing COVID pandemic and climate emergency. Other updates cover important changes in how we talk about a vast range of topics, including disability, …

2. 

   600 New Words And Definitions: The Latest Updates To Dictionary.com

   by Heather Bonikowski, Lexicographer, and John Kelly, Managing Editor Our first major update to Dictionary.com in 2021 looks a lot like … 2020. But that makes a lot of sense. From the pandemic to protests to politics, our language is still catching up to the tremendous change we experienced last year—and Dictionary.com is here to document it all. Our tireless team of lexicographers have touched …

3. 

   What’s Wrong With The Word “Addict”?

   The word addict has been around in English since at least the 1500s, adapted from the Latin addictus, meaning “assigned, surrendered.” But the way we talk about people with addiction is changing, and here at Dictionary.com, we’re changing along with it. In a major update to Dictionary.com, our lexicographers have replaced all instances of addict used as a noun with “a person addicted to” or …

4. 

   Are These COVID-19 Words The Worst To Come Out Of The Pandemic?

   What a year 2020 has been—and it’s not even over yet! With any new global event, new words tend to pop up, for better or worse, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. We know many of the world’s greatest debates are held forth, of course, on Twitter. What color was that dress: blue or gold? (Definitely blue.) After watching Tiger King, did you realize …

5. 

   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, …

6. 

   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 …

7. 

   How Many Words Are There In The English Language?

   How many words are in the English language? It would seem like a simple question, but the answer is anything but. New words are entering the language all the time. In 2019, no one could have predicted what has become a defining word of 2020: COVID-19. At the same time, existing words evolve. What’s the first thing that comes to mind with tweet? A bird or social …

8. 

   Dictionary.com Adds Coronavirus Words To The Dictionary

   Normally, we track new words for years before seeing enough evidence to convince us they have the staying power to merit inclusion in our traditional dictionary. Well, it’s not a normal day at the office. We’re all working at home, for one thing. COVID-19 has changed the dictionary world as suddenly and profoundly as it has changed all of our personal and professional lives. In …

9. 

   Words Coined In Each Decade Of The Last 100 Years

   Language is always evolving. As culture changes, society innovates, and trends come and go, our language changes right along with it. Every decade, new words are coined in the English language. You will be surprised at how old—or how new—words that you use every day are. So, we’ve picked out our favorite neologisms, from broadcaster to yuppie, that were coined during the past century. Did …

10. 

    The Dictionary Just Got A Little Bigger

    2013 was an exciting year for the English vocabulary. Some long-simmering terms like twerk bounced into the spotlight, while new coinages (from the trendy cronut and selfie to the serious Obamacare) cemented their place in the English language. As the English language grows and evolves, so must our dictionary. Here are just a few words recently added to Dictionary.com: Google Glass DWT bitcoin binge-watch confusticate …