Dictionary.com added hundreds of new words on Tuesday. In fact, the online resource added more than 300 new words and definitions, and revised over 1,700 entries.
The newly-defined words added this month are for the most part related to recent events and mainstreams news.
“We get over 5.5 billion word lookups every year, and we analyze those lookups to identify new words that we haven’t seen before,” says Dictionary.com CEO Liz McMillan. “And when we see a critical mass of volume against a particular word, our lexicography team will start researching.” There is still an element of editorial discretion, she notes, describing the process as “algorithm first and human second.”
Among the new words added to Dictionary.com:
Athleisure, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: a style of clothing inspired by athletic apparel but also worn as casual, everyday wear.
Butthurt, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: mental distress or irritation caused by an overreaction to a perceived personal slight.
Daesh, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: a name used to refer to ISIS/ISIL, the radical Sunni Muslim organization.
D-bag, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: a contemptible or despicable person.
Ghosting, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: the practice of suddenly ending all contact with a person without explanation, especially in a romantic relationship.
Hot take, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: a superficially researched and hastily written journalistic piece, online post, etc., that presents opinions as facts and is often moralistic.
Intersectionality, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: the theory that the overlap of various social identities, as race, gender, sexuality, and class, contributes to the specific type of systemic oppression and discrimination experienced by an individual.
Manspread, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: to sit with one’s legs far apart, taking up too much space on a seat shared with other people.
Pokémon, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: a media franchise including video games, animated television series, movies, card games, etc. that depict a fictional class of pet monsters and their trainers.
Woke, which Dictionary.com editors describe as being:actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especially those related to civil and human rights.
Zika virus, which Dictionary.com editors describe as: a chiefly mosquito-borne virus of the genus Flavivirus that causes Zika, a mild illness.
You can check out the full list of Dictionary.com inductees here.
