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Each year, new words are added to the dictionary.
- The dictionary is a living document that changes as our language does.
- Every year, new words are created and added to the dictionary, and other words take on new meanings over time.
- Merriam-Webster added 850 words and definitions to the dictionary in March 2018.
- Here are 10 words you didn't know were part of the dictionary.
As the executive editor at Avenue, a luxury lifestyle magazine based in New York City, I've experienced the evolution of the English language firsthand. New technology and social trends demand the invention of new words to describe them. When a word becomes decisively engrained in the spoken language, Merriam-Webster steps in and adds it to the dictionary.
Back in March, the dictionary added 850 new words and definitions to Merriam-Webster.com. Some, like "cryptocurrency," are completely new words. Others, like "glamping," are two words blended together. And still others, like "unicorn," are words that have long been in the dictionary, but have recently taken on new meanings.
When they announced the new additions, Merriam-Webster outlined the protocol for inclusion: "If you're likely to encounter a word in the wild, whether in the news, a restaurant menu, a tech update, or a Twitter meme, that word belongs in the dictionary."
Below, here are 10 words and definitions that you didn't realize were a part of the Merriam-Webster dictionary: