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Lists of Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year

January 19, 2024

Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year are words of the year lists published annually by the American dictionary-publishing company Merriam-Webster, Inc. The lists feature ten words from the English language. These word lists started in 2003 and have been published at the end of each year.

The Words of the Year usually reflect events that happened during the years the lists were published. For example, the Word of the Year for 2005, 'integrity', showed that the general public had an immense interest in defining this word amid ethics scandals in the United States government, corporations, and sports.[1] The Word of the Year for 2004, 'blog', was looked up on the Online Dictionary the most as blogs began to influence mainstream media.[2] In 2006, Merriam-Webster received a lot of publicity as 'truthiness', a word coined by Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report, topped the list.[3]

Selection process edit

When the Word of the Year was started in 2003, Merriam-Webster determined which words would appear on the list by analyzing page hits and popular searches to its website.[4] For example, the 2003 and 2004 lists were determined by online hits to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Online Thesaurus and to Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com.[5][6] In 2006 and 2007, Merriam-Webster changed this practice, and the list was determined by an online poll among words that were suggested by visitors to the site.[4] Visitors were requested to vote for one entry out of a list of twenty words and phrases. The list consisted of the words and phrases that were frequently looked up on the site and those that were submitted by many readers.[3] From 2008 onwards, however, user submissions have not been a deciding factor, and the list has been composed only of the words which were looked up most frequently that year. Merriam-Webster said that the reason for the change was that otherwise ordinary words were receiving so many hits that their significance could not be ignored.[7]

Words of the Year edit

Year Word Definition
2003 democracy (noun) State governed by the people or by officials elected by the people.[8]
2004 blog (noun) Online journal where the writer presents a record of activities, thoughts, or beliefs.[9]
2005 integrity (noun) Adherence to moral or ethic principles; incorruptibility.[10]
2006 truthiness (noun) Truth coming from the gut, not books; preferring to believe what you wish to believe, rather than what is known to be true.[11]
2007 w00t (interjection) Expressing joy.[12]
2008 bailout (noun) A rescue from financial distress.[13]
2009 admonish (verb) to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner.[14]
2010 austerity (noun) Severity of manners or life; extreme rigor or strictness; harsh discipline.
2011 pragmatic (adjective) Practical, concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice, not just theory.
2012 socialism (noun) Any of various economic and political philosophies that support social equality, collective decision-making, distribution of income based on contribution and public ownership of productive capital and natural resources, as advocated by socialists.
capitalism (noun) A socio-economic system based on private property rights, including the private ownership of resources or capital, with economic decisions made largely through the operation of a market unregulated by the state.
2013 science (noun) Knowledge about or study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation.
2014 culture (noun) The beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time.
2015 -ism (suffix) A suffix that forms abstract nouns of action, state, condition, doctrine.
2016 surreal (adjective) Marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream.
2017 feminism (noun) The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.
2018 justice (noun) The maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments.
2019 they (pronoun) Used to refer to a single person whose gender is intentionally not revealed, or —Used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary.[15]
2020 pandemic (noun) An outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population.
2021 vaccine[16] (noun) A preparation that is administered (as by injection) to stimulate the body's immune response against a specific infectious agent or disease.
2022 gaslighting[17] (noun) A psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one's emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator
2023 authentic[18] (adjective) Not false or imitation: real, actual[19]

Full list by year edit

2003 edit

Rank Word[20] Definition
1
 democracy (noun) State governed by the people or by officials elected by the people.[8]
2
 quagmire (noun) Soft, muddy land; a predicament[21]
3
 quarantine (noun) Period of time in which a person, animal, or ship that could possibly be carrying infection is kept apart;[22] a period of 40 days.[23]
4
 matrix (noun) Something from which something else originates, develops, or takes form;[24] a mold or die; an electroplated impression of a phonograph record used to make duplicate records.[25]
(noun in biology) The substance in which tissue cells are embedded.[26]
(noun in math) The arrangement of a set of quantities in rows and columns.[27]
(noun in geology) Fine-grained rock in which fossils, crystals, or gems are embedded.[26]
5
 marriage (noun) Legally uniting two people as partners; wedlock; a close union or a wedding.[28]
6
 slog (verb) To hit hard or beat heavily; to toil; walk or plod slowly.
(noun) Laborious work; long, tiring walk or march; a heavy blow.[29]
7
 gubernatorial (adjective) Of or relating to a governor.[30]
8
 plagiarism (noun) The act of stealing from another author's works.[31]
9
 outage (noun) Something lost after delivery or storage; temporary suspension of an operation, especially electric power.[32]
10
 batten (verb) To grow fat, to feed greedily, or to live in luxury at the expense of others;[33] to bolster or fasten with battens.
(noun) A strip fixed to something to hold it firm.[34]

John Morse, president of Merriam-Webster, pointed out that "the most frequently looked up words are not the newest words, not the latest high-tech terms, not the cool new slang."[6] Instead, these top ten words correlated to breaking news stories and world events in 2003. The top word democracy correlated to the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime,[35] quarantine to a SARS epidemic, and matrix to the film The Matrix Revolutions.[6]

2004 edit

Rank Word[20] Definition
1
 blog (noun) Online journal where the writer presents a record of activities, thoughts, or beliefs.[9]
2
 incumbent (noun) A person that possesses an ecclesiastical benefice or other office.
(adjective) Lying on; resting on a person, obligatory.[36]
3
 electoral (adjective) Pertaining to electors or elections; consisting of electors.[37]
4
 insurgent (noun) A person who rebels or rises against authority.
(adjective) Rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority.[38]
5
 hurricane (noun) Violent, tropical cyclone of the western North Atlantic with wind speeds at or above 72 miles per hour (32 m/s); most severe, intense storm; anything that suggests a violent storm.[39]
6
 cicada (noun) An insect of the family Cicadidae.[40]
7
 peloton (noun) The main group of riders in a bicycle race.[41]
8
 partisan (noun) A supporter of a cause, person, or group, especially a supporter with biased allegiance; a member of a military group harassing an enemy, especially a group engaged in guerilla warfare against an occupying army.[42]
9
 sovereignty (noun) Government free from external control; royal authority; a state's authority to govern another state.[43]
10
 defenestration (noun) The act of throwing a thing or person out a window.[44]

In 2004, blogs were becoming highly popular and began to influence mainstream media. During the twelve-month period that decides the word of the year, the term blog had the most requests for a definition or explanation, so a new entry was placed in Merriam-Webster's printed dictionary for 2005. The other words on this list, such as incumbent, electoral, and partisan, were associated with major news events, such as the United States presidential election of 2004 or natural disasters that hit the US.[2]

2005 edit

Rank Word[20] Definition
1
 integrity (noun) Adherence to moral or ethic principles; incorruptibility.[10]
2
 refugee (noun) One who flees for protection from danger or distress; one who flees to another country or place for safety.[45][46]
3
 contempt (noun) Willful disobedience to or open disrespect of a court, judge or legislative body.[10]
4
 filibuster (noun) Using delaying tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action, especially in a legislative assembly.[10]
5
 insipid (adjective) Lacking in taste; vapid, flat, dull, heavy, and spiritless.[47]
6
 tsunami (noun) Very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption.[48]
7
 pandemic (noun) Occurring over a wide geographic area; affecting a large population.[10]
8
 conclave (noun) Assembly of cardinals to elect the Roman Catholic pope; a secret assembly.[49]
9
 levee (noun) A formal reception of guests, as in a royal court; a pier that provides a place to land at a river; an embankment that was made to prevent a river from overflowing.[50]
10
 inept (adjective) Not apt or fitting, inappropriate; lack of judgement, sense, or reason; foolish; bungling or clumsy; incompetent.[51]

For 2005, integrity was the most looked-up word in Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary.[52] According to John Morse, President of Merriam-Webster, the word integrity slowly moved up the list to first place in 2005 because ethics scandals emerged around the United States regarding corporations, government, and sports,[1] such as the CIA leak investigations, scandals in Congress, and disgraced athletes.[10]

Hurricane Katrina, the bird flu, and the death of Pope John Paul II renewed public interest in words such as refugee, tsunami, pandemic, conclave, and levee. The word refugee was also a candidate for the American Dialect Society's Word of the Year; according to Morse, the term gained notoriety as the entire country debated with how to describe people affected by Hurricane Katrina.[1] The debate, over whether refugee was the proper term to describe displaced residents or whether the term was pejorative, summoned several Americans to look up the word in their dictionaries to form their own opinion. The word refugee received more queries in one month than most words in an entire year.[10] The word insipid made the Top 10 list after Simon Cowell described Anthony Fedorov's performance in American Idol as "pleasant, safe, and a little insipid."[1] At number 10 is inept, a word that received a lot of attention after the days when President George W. Bush delivered a live prime time news conference that came to an awkward end when some television networks cut him off to return to their regularly scheduled programs.[53]

2006 edit

Rank Word[20] Definition
1
 truthiness (noun) Truth coming from the gut, not books; preferring to believe what you wish to believe, rather than what is known to be true.[11]
2
 google (verb) Using the Google search engine to look up information about a person.[54]
3
 decider (noun) A person who settles things in dispute or doubt.[55]
4
 war (noun) A contest of armed forces between nations, countries, or parties.
(verb) To be in conflict or state of opposition.
(adjective) Related to, of, belonging to, used in, or due to such a contest or conflict.[56]
5
 insurgent (noun) A person who rebels or rises against authority.
(adjective) Rising in revolt, refusing to accept authority.[38]
6
 terrorism (noun) Use of violence or threats to intimidate or coerce a person, especially for political purposes.[57]
7
 vendetta (noun) A blood feud;[58] prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, or contention.[59]
8
 sectarian (adjective) Pertaining to factions united under one doctrine, such as religious denominations;[60][61] narrow-minded.[62]
9
 quagmire (noun) Soft, wet, boggy land;[63] a situation from which extrication is difficult.[64]
10
 corruption (noun) Lack of integrity or honesty; decay; impairment of virtue and moral principles; undermining moral integrity; inducement by a public official with improper means to violate duties, for example, bribery.[65]

After online visitors chose truthiness in a five-to-one majority vote as the Word of the Year of 2006,[66] Merriam-Webster received a large amount of publicity.[3] This was the first year in which Merriam-Webster used online voting to decide its Word of the Year.[67] The term was created by Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central in The Colbert Report's first episode,[68] which took place in October 2005,[69] to describe things that he fervently believes to be the case regardless of the facts.[70] In addition, truthiness became the American Dialect Society's Word of the Year for 2005.[67]

2007 edit

Rank Word[12] Definition
1
 w00t (interjection) Expressing joy.[12]
2
 Facebook (verb) To post a picture or other information to profile pages at the trademarked social networking website Facebook.[71]
3
 conundrum (noun) A riddle whose answer is or involves a pun; question or problem with only a conjectural answer; intricate and difficult problem.[72]
4
 quixotic (adjective) Foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; loftily romantic or extravagantly chivalrous; capricious or unpredictable.[73]
5
 blamestorm (verb) To hold a discussion in order to assign blame to a person for a failure.[74]
6
 sardoodledom (noun) "A play with an overly contrived and melodramatic plot."[75]
7
 apathetic (adjective) No feeling or passion, indifferent.[76]
8
 Pecksniffian (adjective) Hypocritically benevolent.[77]
9
 hypocrite (noun) Person who pretends to have virtues, beliefs, or principles that he or she does not actually possess.[78]
10
 charlatan (noun) A person who pretends to have more knowledge and skill than he or she actually possesses.[79]

John Morse, President of Merriam-Webster, said that the word w00t was a good choice because it "blends whimsy and new technology".[80] Spelled with two zeros in leetspeak, w00t reflects a new direction in the English language led by a generation raised on video games and cell phone text messaging.[81] While the word itself has not been published in its printed dictionary yet, Merriam-Webster claims that its presence in the Open Dictionary and the honors it's been awarded gives w00t a better chance at becoming an official word.[82][83] It originally became popular in online gaming forums and is now used as an expression of excitement and joy. The word is also considered an acronym in the online gaming world for the phrase We owned the other team.[71] This word was also used in the 1990 film Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts exclaimed "Woot, woot, woot!" to her date's friends during a polo match.[84]

Placing second in 2007's contest, facebook created an unofficial verb out of the website Facebook.[71] Founded in 2004, Facebook is a social network that allows its users to create a profile page and forge links with other friends and acquaintances.[85]

2008 edit

Rank Word[13] Definition
1
 bailout (noun) A rescue from financial distress.[13]
2
 vet (verb) To provide veterinary care for an animal or medical care for a person; to subject a person or animal to a physical examination or checkup; to subject to expert appraisal or correction; to evaluate for possible approval or acceptance.[86]
3
 socialism (noun) economic or political theory advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods; society in which there is no private property; a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done.[87]
4
 maverick (noun) unbranded range animal, especially a motherless calf; an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party.[88]
5
 bipartisan (adjective) of, relating to, or involving members of two parties; specifically, marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties.[89]
6
 trepidation (noun) A tremor; apprehension.[90]
7
 precipice (noun) Very steep or overhanging place; a hazardous situation.[91]
8
 rogue (noun) Vagrant or tramp; dishonest, worthless, or mischievous person; horse inclined to shirk or misbehave; individual with a chance and usually inferior biological variation.[92]
9
 misogyny (noun) Hatred of women.[93]
10
 turmoil (noun) a state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion.[94]

2009 edit

Rank Word[14] Definition
1
 admonish (verb) to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner[14]
2
 emaciated (verb) to have wasted away physically[95]
3
 empathy (noun) the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner; also : the capacity for this[96]
4
 furlough (noun) a leave of absence from duty granted especially to a soldier; also : a document authorizing such a leave of absence.[97]
5
 inaugurate (verb) to induct into an office with suitable ceremonies[98]
6
 nugatory (adjective) of little or no consequence[99]
7
 pandemic (adjective) occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population[100]
8
 philanderer (noun) : one who has casual or illicit sex with a woman or with many women[101]
9
 repose (verb) to lie at rest[102]
10
 rogue (adjective) corrupt, dishonest[103]

2010 edit

Rank Word[104] Definition
1
 austerity (noun) Severity of manners or life; extreme rigor or strictness; harsh discipline.
2
 pragmatic (adjective) Practical, concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice, not just theory.
3
 moratorium (noun) A suspension of an ongoing activity.
4
 socialism (noun) Any of various economic and political philosophies that support social equality, collective decision-making, distribution of income based on contribution and public ownership of productive capital and natural resources, as advocated by socialists.
5
 bigot (noun) One who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices.
6
 doppelganger (noun) A ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts such a person; An evil twin; A remarkably similar double; A person who has the same name as another; A fantastic monster that takes the forms of people, usually after killing them.
7
 shellacking (noun) A heavy defeat, drubbing, or beating; used particularly in sports and political contexts.
8
 ebullient (adjective) Boiling, agitated; enthusiastic, high-spirited.
9
 dissident (noun) A person who formally opposes the current political structure, opposes the political group in power, opposes the policies of the political group in power, or opposes current laws.
10
 furtive (adjective) Stealthy; Exhibiting guilty or evasive secrecy.

Austerity was the most searched-for word of 2010. Interest in the word reached its highest point around May 1,[105] the day the Greek government announced a series of austerity measures, but its popularity remained strong throughout the year. Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster editor-at-large, said: "Austerity clearly resonates with many people. We often hear it used in the context of government measures, but we also apply it to our own personal finances and what is sometimes called the new normal." Barack Obama used the word shellacking in November 2010, when acknowledging his party's losses in the US mid-term elections,[106] and lookups of ebullient peaked in October, as thirty-three Chilean miners were successfully rescued after 69 days trapped underground.[107]

2011 edit

Rank Word[108] Definition
1
 pragmatic (adjective) Practical, concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice, not just theory.
2
 ambivalence (noun) The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings (such as love and hate) towards a person, object or idea; A state of uncertainty or indecisiveness.
3
 insidious (adjective) Producing harm in a stealthy, often gradual, manner; Intending to entrap; alluring but harmful.
4
 didactic (adjective) Instructive or intended to teach or demonstrate, especially with regard to morality; Excessively moralizing.
5
 austerity (noun) Severity of manners or life; extreme rigor or strictness; harsh discipline.
6
 diversity (noun) The quality of being diverse or different; difference or unlikeness.
7
 capitalism (noun) A socio-economic system based on private property rights, including the private ownership of resources or capital, with economic decisions made largely through the operation of a market unregulated by the state.
8
 socialism (noun) Any of various economic and political philosophies that support social equality, collective decision-making, distribution of income based on contribution and public ownership of productive capital and natural resources, as advocated by socialists.
9
 vitriol (noun) Bitterly abusive language.
10
 après moi le déluge (foreign term) "After me, the deluge", a remark attributed to Louis XV of France in reference to the impending end of a functioning French monarchy and predicting the French Revolution.

The word pragmatic was looked up on Merriam-Webster's website an unprecedented number of times in 2011.[108] Although the popularity of the word wasn't linked to any specific event, it received the greatest amount of interest in the latter half of the year, as the United States Congress introduced the Budget Control Act, and its Supercommittee began to craft deficit-reduction plans.[109] Ambivalence was also a popular word throughout the year; John Moore, President of Merriam-Webster, remarked: "We think it reflects the public attitude toward a wide range of issues, including the economy, the ongoing debates in Washington, the presidential election, and most recently the race for the Republican Party nomination." The term vitriol was used frequently in the wake of the January 2011 Tucson shooting, which led to a national debate about political rhetoric.[108]

In November 2011, political commentator David Gergen rounded off a CNN article (entitled "Have they gone nuts in Washington?") with the phrase "après moi, le déluge".[110] The expression, attributed to Louis XV, typifies the attitude of those who don't care about the future, because they won't be around to face the consequences of their actions.[111]

2012 edit

Rank Word[107] Definition
1
 socialism (noun) Any of various economic and political philosophies that support social equality, collective decision-making, distribution of income based on contribution and public ownership of productive capital and natural resources, as advocated by socialists.
capitalism (noun) A socio-economic system based on private property rights, including the private ownership of resources or capital, with economic decisions made largely through the operation of a market unregulated by the state.
2
 touché (interjection) An acknowledgement of the success, appropriateness or superiority of an argument or discussion.
3
 bigot (noun) One who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices.
4
 marriage (noun) The state of being married; A union of two or more people that creates a family tie and carries legal and/or social rights and responsibilities; A ceremony in which people wed.
5
 democracy (noun) Rule by the people, especially as a form of government, either directly or through elected representatives; A government under the direct or representative rule of the people of its jurisdiction; Belief in political freedom and equality; the "spirit of democracy".
6
 professionalism (noun) The status, methods, character or standards expected of a professional or of a professional organization, such as reliability, discretion, evenhandedness, and fair play.
7
 globalization (noun) The process of going to a more interconnected world; The process of making world economy dominated by capitalist models.
8
 malarkey (noun) Nonsense; rubbish.
9
 schadenfreude (noun) Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else's misfortune.
10
 meme (noun) Any unit of cultural information, such as a practice or idea, that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another; A thought, idea, joke, or concept that spreads online, often virally, in the form of e.g. an image, a video, an email, an animation, or music.

The popularity of many of the words on Merriam-Webster's 2012 list were influenced by the commentary and debate that surrounded that year's US presidential election. Socialism and capitalism were frequently referred to during the party conventions and the televised debates; interest in socialism spiked on the day of the election – November 6, 2012.[107] The word malarkey was used several times by Joe Biden during his vice-presidential debate with Paul Ryan on October 11,[112] and meme captured the public imagination after a remark made by Mitt Romney about "binders full of women", on October 16, went viral.[113]

Touché remained a popular word throughout the year. This was partly as a result of a new technology of the same name being announced by Disney Research; however, John Morse, President of Merriam-Webster, suggested that touché was "simply a word enjoying a period of increased popular use, perhaps as a byproduct of the growing amount of verbal jousting in our culture, especially through social media".[107]

2013 edit

Rank Word[114] Definition
1
 science (noun) Knowledge about or study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation.
2
 cognitive (adjective) Of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity.
3
 rapport (noun) A friendly relationship.
4
 communication (noun) The act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else.
5
 niche (noun) A job, activity, etc., that is very suitable for someone; The situation in which a business's products or services can succeed by being sold to a particular kind or group of people
6
 ethic (noun) Rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad.
7
 paradox (noun) Something (such as a situation) that is made up of two opposite things and that seems impossible but is actually true or possible.
8
 visceral (adjective) Coming from strong emotions and not from logic or reason.
9
 integrity (noun) The quality of being honest and fair; The state of being complete or whole.
10
 metaphor (noun) a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar; An object, activity, or idea that is used as a symbol of something else

The popularity of the word science in 2013 was driven by debates around climate change and science in education. Further debates around pseudoscience and whether science can answer all of life's questions further drove its popularity.

Cognitive's popularity was principally driven by ongoing issues with relation to concussion in American professional sports. The popularity of rapport and communication was principally driven by Edward Snowden's revelations around the NSA's global surveillance.[114]

2014 edit

Rank Word[115][116] Definition[117]
1
 culture (noun) The beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time.
2
 nostalgia (noun) Pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again.
3
 insidious (adjective) Causing harm in a way that is gradual or not easily noticed.
4
 legacy (noun) Something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past.
5
 feminism (noun) The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities
6
 je ne sais quoi (noun) A pleasant quality that is hard to describe.
7
 innovation (noun) A new idea, device, or method; the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods.
8
 surreptitious (adjective) Done in a secret way.
9
 autonomy (noun) The state of existing or acting separately from others; the power or right of a country, group, etc., to govern itself.
10
 morbidity (noun) The quality or state of being morbid

2015 edit

Rank Word[118] Definition
1
 -ism (suffix) A suffix that forms abstract nouns of action, state, condition, doctrine
2
 socialism (noun) Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
3
 fascism (noun) A political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader
4
 racism (noun) A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
5
 feminism (noun) The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities
6
 communism (noun) A theory advocating elimination of private property; a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
7
 capitalism (noun) An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market
8
 terrorism (noun) The systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion
9
 marriage (noun) The legally or formally recognized union of a man and a woman (or, in some jurisdictions, two people of the same sex) as partners in a relationship
10
 hypocrite (noun) A person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

The suffix -ism goes all the way back to Ancient Greek, and was used in Latin and medieval French on its way to English. Originally, it turned a verb into a noun: think of baptize and baptism, criticize and criticism, or plagiarize and plagiarism. It has since acquired many other uses, including identifying a religion or practice (Calvinism, vegetarianism), a prejudice based on a specific quality (sexism, ageism), an adherence to a system (stoicism, altruism), a condition based on excess of something (alcoholism), or a characteristic feature or trait (colloquialism).[118]

2016 edit

Rank Word[119]
1
 surreal
2
 revenant
3
 icon
4
 in omnia paratus
5
 bigly
6
 deplorable
7
 irregardless
8
 assumpsit
9
 faute de mieux
10
 feckless

2017 edit

Rank Word[120]
1
 feminism
2
 complicit
3
 recuse
4
 empathy
5
 dotard
6
 syzygy
7
 gyro
8
 federalism
9
 hurricane
10
 gaffe

2018 edit

Rank Word[121]
1
 justice
2
 nationalism
3
 pansexual
4
 lodestar
5
 epiphany
6
 feckless
7
 laurel
8
 pissant
9
 respect
10
 maverick
11
 excelsior

2019 edit

Rank Word[122][123] Definition
1
 they (pronoun) —Used to refer to a single person whose gender is intentionally not revealed, or —Used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary[15]
2
 quid pro quo (noun) "Something given or received for something else," or "A deal arranging a quid pro quo."
3
 impeach (verb) "To charge with a crime or misdemeanor" and "To cast doubt on."
4
 crawdad (noun) Refers to the aquatic animal that looks like a small lobster and lives in rivers and streams—i.e. to what's also known as a crawfish or crayfish.
5
 egregious (adjective) Modern English: "Conspicuously bad;" Original meaning: "Distinguished" or "Eminent."
6
 clemency (noun) Reduction of punishment.
7
 the (definite article) Pronounced /ðə/ before words that begin with consonants ("the governor") and /ði:/ before words that begin with a vowel; /ði:/ can also indicate emphasis or suggest uniqueness (THE Ohio State University).
8
 snitty (adjective) Disagreeably ill-tempered.
9
 tergiversation (noun) "Evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement," or "Desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith."
10
 camp (noun) "A style or mode of personal or creative expression that is absurdly exaggerated and often fuses elements of high and popular culture" or "Something so outrageously artificial, affected, inappropriate, or out-of-date as to be considered amusing."
11
 exculpate (verb) To clear from alleged fault or guilt.

Searches for they increased by 313% in 2019 over 2018; the use of they to refer to one person whose gender identity is nonbinary was added to the Merriam-Webster.com dictionary in September 2019. Quid pro quo is most often used in legal texts, and interest in the term is primarily attributed to the Trump–Ukraine scandal. Interest in crawdad is attributed to the novel Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. A Boeing pilot used egregious in describing an issue with the Boeing 737 MAX groundings. The Ohio State University tried to trademark the word The (later succeeding). Attorney General William Barr used snitty to describe the Mueller Report; Merriam-Webster describes the word as "a child of the 1970s."[15] On January 23, The Washington Post columnist George Will wrote, "During the government shutdown, Graham’s tergiversations—sorry, this is the precise word—have amazed."[15] A fashion exhibit at The Met sparked interest in camp.

2020 edit

Rank Word[124] Definition
1
 pandemic (noun) An outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population.
2
 Coronavirus (noun) Any of a family (Coronaviridae) of large single-stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club-shaped spike proteins, infect birds and many mammals including humans, and include the causative agents of MERS, SARS, and COVID-19.
3
 defund (verb) To withdraw funding from.
4
 Mamba (noun) Any of several chiefly arboreal venomous green or black elapid snakes (genus Dendroaspis) of sub-Saharan Africa.
5
 Kraken (noun) A Scandinavian sea monster.
6
 quarantine (noun) A restraint upon the activities or communication of persons or the transport of goods designed to prevent the spread of disease or pests.
7
 antebellum (adjective) Existing before a war, especially the American Civil War.
8
 schadenfreude (noun) Enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others.
9
 asymptomatic (adjective) Not causing, marked by, or presenting with signs or symptoms of infection, illness, or disease.
10
 irregardless (adjective) Nonstandard form of regardless.
11
 icon (noun) A person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere.
12
 malarkey (noun) Insincere or foolish talk.

Pandemic, coronavirus, quarantine, and asymptomatic are all in reference to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the George Floyd protests of May 2020 and beyond, many Black Lives Matter supporters called on local governments to "defund the police", leading defund to have a 6,059% increase in lookups from 2019 to 2020;[125] ensuing national conversations about references to the American Civil War led to the country music trio formerly known as Lady Antebellum changing their name to Lady A, ensuing a similar 885% increase in lookups.[126] Mamba and kraken are both sports references, to "The Black Mamba" Kobe Bryant who died in January 2020[127] and the expansion National Hockey League franchise Seattle Kraken,[128] respectively. Actress Jamie Lee Curtis Tweeted in July 2020 that Merriam-Webster had recently added irregardless, a double negative, to the dictionary, although the dictionary had entered it in 1934.[129] A frequent entry in victorious US Presidential candidate Joe Biden's vocabulary, malarkey saw its second appearance in the top 10, the other being in 2012 during his re-election campaign for Vice President.[112]

2021 edit

Rank Word[16]
1
 vaccine
2
 insurrection
3
 perseverance
4
 woke
5
 nomad
6
 infrastructure
7
 cicada
8
 murraya
9
 cisgender
10
 guardian
11
 meta

2022 edit

Rank Word[17]
1
 gaslighting
2
 oligarch
3
 omicron
4
 codify
5
 LGBTQIA
6
 sentient
7
 loamy
8
 raid
9
 queen consort

2023 edit

Rank Word Definition
1
 authentic (adjective) Not false or imitation: real, actual
2
 rizz (noun) Romantic appeal or charm
3
 deepfake (noun) An image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said.
4
 coronation (noun) The act or occasion of crowning
5
 dystopian (adjective) Of, relating to, or being an imagined world or society in which people lead dehumanized, fearful lives
6
 EGOT (noun) The accomplishment of winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award in one's lifetime
7
 X (noun) The 24th letter of the English alphabet
8
 implode (verb) To burst inward
9
 Doppelgänger (noun) A living person that closely resembles another living person; a double
10
 covenant (noun) A usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement
11
 indict (verb) To charge with a crime by the finding or presentment of a jury (such as a grand jury) in due form of law
12
 element (noun) Any of the four substances air, water, fire, and earth formerly believed to compose the physical universe
13
 kibbutz (noun) A communal farm or settlement in Israel
14
 deadname (noun) The name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses upon transitioning

The increase in searches for authentic was driven by stories and conversations about artificial intelligence (AI), celebrity culture, identity and social media, with AI technologies like deepfake blurring the lines between "real" and "fake". The coronation of Charles III and Camilla took place on May 6, 2023. Interest in dystopian was driven by warning about AI as well as the 2023 Canadian wildfires, which in June covered much of Canada and the United States in smoke, evoking a "dystopian landscape". The actress Viola Davis achieved the EGOT in February. The social media networking service Twitter was rebranded to X by owner Elon Musk in July.

The submersible Titan imploded while on an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic. Doppelgänger saw multiple spikes from independent events, one of which was the release of the book Doppelganger by academic and activist Naomi Klein. The same goes for covenant; event that drove an increase in lookups for the word include a school shooting at The Covenant school at Nashville, Tennessee, the release of the film Guy Ritchie's The Covenant and the novel The Covenant of Water. Former US president Donald Trump was indicted on four separate cases. Pixar released the animated film Elemental. In the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, several kibbutzim were targeted. Searches for deadname increased due to the passage of anti-LGBT curriculum laws in several US states which prohibit or limit the mention or discussion of homosexuality and transgender identity in schools.[19][18]

References edit

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External links edit

  • Merriam-Webster Online

January 19, 2024
lists, merriam, webster, words, year, merriam, webster, words, year, words, year, lists, published, annually, american, dictionary, publishing, company, merriam, webster, lists, feature, words, from, english, language, these, word, lists, started, 2003, have, . Merriam Webster s Words of the Year are words of the year lists published annually by the American dictionary publishing company Merriam Webster Inc The lists feature ten words from the English language These word lists started in 2003 and have been published at the end of each year Contents 1 Selection process 2 Words of the Year 3 Full list by year 3 1 2003 3 2 2004 3 3 2005 3 4 2006 3 5 2007 3 6 2008 3 7 2009 3 8 2010 3 9 2011 3 10 2012 3 11 2013 3 12 2014 3 13 2015 3 14 2016 3 15 2017 3 16 2018 3 17 2019 3 18 2020 3 19 2021 3 20 2022 3 21 2023 4 References 5 External links The Words of the Year usually reflect events that happened during the years the lists were published For example the Word of the Year for 2005 integrity showed that the general public had an immense interest in defining this word amid ethics scandals in the United States government corporations and sports 1 The Word of the Year for 2004 blog was looked up on the Online Dictionary the most as blogs began to influence mainstream media 2 In 2006 Merriam Webster received a lot of publicity as truthiness a word coined by Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report topped the list 3 Selection process editWhen the Word of the Year was started in 2003 Merriam Webster determined which words would appear on the list by analyzing page hits and popular searches to its website 4 For example the 2003 and 2004 lists were determined by online hits to the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary and Online Thesaurus and to Merriam WebsterCollegiate com 5 6 In 2006 and 2007 Merriam Webster changed this practice and the list was determined by an online poll among words that were suggested by visitors to the site 4 Visitors were requested to vote for one entry out of a list of twenty words and phrases The list consisted of the words and phrases that were frequently looked up on the site and those that were submitted by many readers 3 From 2008 onwards however user submissions have not been a deciding factor and the list has been composed only of the words which were looked up most frequently that year Merriam Webster said that the reason for the change was that otherwise ordinary words were receiving so many hits that their significance could not be ignored 7 Words of the Year editYear Word Definition2003 democracy noun State governed by the people or by officials elected by the people 8 2004 blog noun Online journal where the writer presents a record of activities thoughts or beliefs 9 2005 integrity noun Adherence to moral or ethic principles incorruptibility 10 2006 truthiness noun Truth coming from the gut not books preferring to believe what you wish to believe rather than what is known to be true 11 2007 w00t interjection Expressing joy 12 2008 bailout noun A rescue from financial distress 13 2009 admonish verb to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle earnest or solicitous manner 14 2010 austerity noun Severity of manners or life extreme rigor or strictness harsh discipline 2011 pragmatic adjective Practical concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice not just theory 2012 socialism noun Any of various economic and political philosophies that support social equality collective decision making distribution of income based on contribution and public ownership of productive capital and natural resources as advocated by socialists capitalism noun A socio economic system based on private property rights including the private ownership of resources or capital with economic decisions made largely through the operation of a market unregulated by the state 2013 science noun Knowledge about or study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation 2014 culture noun The beliefs customs arts etc of a particular society group place or time 2015 ism suffix A suffix that forms abstract nouns of action state condition doctrine 2016 surreal adjective Marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream 2017 feminism noun The theory of the political economic and social equality of the sexes 2018 justice noun The maintenance or administration of what is just especially by the impartial adjustment of conflicting claims or the assignment of merited rewards or punishments 2019 they pronoun Used to refer to a single person whose gender is intentionally not revealed or Used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary 15 2020 pandemic noun An outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area such as multiple countries or continents and typically affects a significant proportion of the population 2021 vaccine 16 noun A preparation that is administered as by injection to stimulate the body s immune response against a specific infectious agent or disease 2022 gaslighting 17 noun A psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts perception of reality or memories and typically leads to confusion loss of confidence and self esteem uncertainty of one s emotional or mental stability and a dependency on the perpetrator2023 authentic 18 adjective Not false or imitation real actual 19 Full list by year edit2003 edit Rank Word 20 Definition1 democracy noun State governed by the people or by officials elected by the people 8 2 quagmire noun Soft muddy land a predicament 21 3 quarantine noun Period of time in which a person animal or ship that could possibly be carrying infection is kept apart 22 a period of 40 days 23 4 matrix noun Something from which something else originates develops or takes form 24 a mold or die an electroplated impression of a phonograph record used to make duplicate records 25 noun in biology The substance in which tissue cells are embedded 26 noun in math The arrangement of a set of quantities in rows and columns 27 noun in geology Fine grained rock in which fossils crystals or gems are embedded 26 5 marriage noun Legally uniting two people as partners wedlock a close union or a wedding 28 6 slog verb To hit hard or beat heavily to toil walk or plod slowly noun Laborious work long tiring walk or march a heavy blow 29 7 gubernatorial adjective Of or relating to a governor 30 8 plagiarism noun The act of stealing from another author s works 31 9 outage noun Something lost after delivery or storage temporary suspension of an operation especially electric power 32 10 batten verb To grow fat to feed greedily or to live in luxury at the expense of others 33 to bolster or fasten with battens noun A strip fixed to something to hold it firm 34 John Morse president of Merriam Webster pointed out that the most frequently looked up words are not the newest words not the latest high tech terms not the cool new slang 6 Instead these top ten words correlated to breaking news stories and world events in 2003 The top word democracy correlated to the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein s regime 35 quarantine to a SARS epidemic and matrix to the film The Matrix Revolutions 6 2004 edit Rank Word 20 Definition1 blog noun Online journal where the writer presents a record of activities thoughts or beliefs 9 2 incumbent noun A person that possesses an ecclesiastical benefice or other office adjective Lying on resting on a person obligatory 36 3 electoral adjective Pertaining to electors or elections consisting of electors 37 4 insurgent noun A person who rebels or rises against authority adjective Rising in revolt refusing to accept authority 38 5 hurricane noun Violent tropical cyclone of the western North Atlantic with wind speeds at or above 72 miles per hour 32 m s most severe intense storm anything that suggests a violent storm 39 6 cicada noun An insect of the family Cicadidae 40 7 peloton noun The main group of riders in a bicycle race 41 8 partisan noun A supporter of a cause person or group especially a supporter with biased allegiance a member of a military group harassing an enemy especially a group engaged in guerilla warfare against an occupying army 42 9 sovereignty noun Government free from external control royal authority a state s authority to govern another state 43 10 defenestration noun The act of throwing a thing or person out a window 44 In 2004 blogs were becoming highly popular and began to influence mainstream media During the twelve month period that decides the word of the year the term blog had the most requests for a definition or explanation so a new entry was placed in Merriam Webster s printed dictionary for 2005 The other words on this list such as incumbent electoral and partisan were associated with major news events such as the United States presidential election of 2004 or natural disasters that hit the US 2 2005 edit Rank Word 20 Definition1 integrity noun Adherence to moral or ethic principles incorruptibility 10 2 refugee noun One who flees for protection from danger or distress one who flees to another country or place for safety 45 46 3 contempt noun Willful disobedience to or open disrespect of a court judge or legislative body 10 4 filibuster noun Using delaying tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action especially in a legislative assembly 10 5 insipid adjective Lacking in taste vapid flat dull heavy and spiritless 47 6 tsunami noun Very large ocean wave caused by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption 48 7 pandemic noun Occurring over a wide geographic area affecting a large population 10 8 conclave noun Assembly of cardinals to elect the Roman Catholic pope a secret assembly 49 9 levee noun A formal reception of guests as in a royal court a pier that provides a place to land at a river an embankment that was made to prevent a river from overflowing 50 10 inept adjective Not apt or fitting inappropriate lack of judgement sense or reason foolish bungling or clumsy incompetent 51 For 2005 integrity was the most looked up word in Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary 52 According to John Morse President of Merriam Webster the word integrity slowly moved up the list to first place in 2005 because ethics scandals emerged around the United States regarding corporations government and sports 1 such as the CIA leak investigations scandals in Congress and disgraced athletes 10 Hurricane Katrina the bird flu and the death of Pope John Paul II renewed public interest in words such as refugee tsunami pandemic conclave and levee The word refugee was also a candidate for the American Dialect Society s Word of the Year according to Morse the term gained notoriety as the entire country debated with how to describe people affected by Hurricane Katrina 1 The debate over whether refugee was the proper term to describe displaced residents or whether the term was pejorative summoned several Americans to look up the word in their dictionaries to form their own opinion The word refugee received more queries in one month than most words in an entire year 10 The word insipid made the Top 10 list after Simon Cowell described Anthony Fedorov s performance in American Idol as pleasant safe and a little insipid 1 At number 10 is inept a word that received a lot of attention after the days when President George W Bush delivered a live prime time news conference that came to an awkward end when some television networks cut him off to return to their regularly scheduled programs 53 2006 edit Rank Word 20 Definition1 truthiness noun Truth coming from the gut not books preferring to believe what you wish to believe rather than what is known to be true 11 2 google verb Using the Google search engine to look up information about a person 54 3 decider noun A person who settles things in dispute or doubt 55 4 war noun A contest of armed forces between nations countries or parties verb To be in conflict or state of opposition adjective Related to of belonging to used in or due to such a contest or conflict 56 5 insurgent noun A person who rebels or rises against authority adjective Rising in revolt refusing to accept authority 38 6 terrorism noun Use of violence or threats to intimidate or coerce a person especially for political purposes 57 7 vendetta noun A blood feud 58 prolonged and bitter feud rivalry or contention 59 8 sectarian adjective Pertaining to factions united under one doctrine such as religious denominations 60 61 narrow minded 62 9 quagmire noun Soft wet boggy land 63 a situation from which extrication is difficult 64 10 corruption noun Lack of integrity or honesty decay impairment of virtue and moral principles undermining moral integrity inducement by a public official with improper means to violate duties for example bribery 65 After online visitors chose truthiness in a five to one majority vote as the Word of the Year of 2006 66 Merriam Webster received a large amount of publicity 3 This was the first year in which Merriam Webster used online voting to decide its Word of the Year 67 The term was created by Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central in The Colbert Report s first episode 68 which took place in October 2005 69 to describe things that he fervently believes to be the case regardless of the facts 70 In addition truthiness became the American Dialect Society s Word of the Year for 2005 67 2007 edit Rank Word 12 Definition1 w00t interjection Expressing joy 12 2 Facebook verb To post a picture or other information to profile pages at the trademarked social networking website Facebook 71 3 conundrum noun A riddle whose answer is or involves a pun question or problem with only a conjectural answer intricate and difficult problem 72 4 quixotic adjective Foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals loftily romantic or extravagantly chivalrous capricious or unpredictable 73 5 blamestorm verb To hold a discussion in order to assign blame to a person for a failure 74 6 sardoodledom noun A play with an overly contrived and melodramatic plot 75 7 apathetic adjective No feeling or passion indifferent 76 8 Pecksniffian adjective Hypocritically benevolent 77 9 hypocrite noun Person who pretends to have virtues beliefs or principles that he or she does not actually possess 78 10 charlatan noun A person who pretends to have more knowledge and skill than he or she actually possesses 79 John Morse President of Merriam Webster said that the word w00t was a good choice because it blends whimsy and new technology 80 Spelled with two zeros in leetspeak w00t reflects a new direction in the English language led by a generation raised on video games and cell phone text messaging 81 While the word itself has not been published in its printed dictionary yet Merriam Webster claims that its presence in the Open Dictionary and the honors it s been awarded gives w00t a better chance at becoming an official word 82 83 It originally became popular in online gaming forums and is now used as an expression of excitement and joy The word is also considered an acronym in the online gaming world for the phrase We owned the other team 71 This word was also used in the 1990 film Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts exclaimed Woot woot woot to her date s friends during a polo match 84 Placing second in 2007 s contest facebook created an unofficial verb out of the website Facebook 71 Founded in 2004 Facebook is a social network that allows its users to create a profile page and forge links with other friends and acquaintances 85 2008 edit Rank Word 13 Definition1 bailout noun A rescue from financial distress 13 2 vet verb To provide veterinary care for an animal or medical care for a person to subject a person or animal to a physical examination or checkup to subject to expert appraisal or correction to evaluate for possible approval or acceptance 86 3 socialism noun economic or political theory advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods society in which there is no private property a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done 87 4 maverick noun unbranded range animal especially a motherless calf an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party 88 5 bipartisan adjective of relating to or involving members of two parties specifically marked by or involving cooperation agreement and compromise between two major political parties 89 6 trepidation noun A tremor apprehension 90 7 precipice noun Very steep or overhanging place a hazardous situation 91 8 rogue noun Vagrant or tramp dishonest worthless or mischievous person horse inclined to shirk or misbehave individual with a chance and usually inferior biological variation 92 9 misogyny noun Hatred of women 93 10 turmoil noun a state or condition of extreme confusion agitation or commotion 94 2009 edit Rank Word 14 Definition1 admonish verb to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle earnest or solicitous manner 14 2 emaciated verb to have wasted away physically 95 3 empathy noun the action of understanding being aware of being sensitive to and vicariously experiencing the feelings thoughts and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings thoughts and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner also the capacity for this 96 4 furlough noun a leave of absence from duty granted especially to a soldier also a document authorizing such a leave of absence 97 5 inaugurate verb to induct into an office with suitable ceremonies 98 6 nugatory adjective of little or no consequence 99 7 pandemic adjective occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population 100 8 philanderer noun one who has casual or illicit sex with a woman or with many women 101 9 repose verb to lie at rest 102 10 rogue adjective corrupt dishonest 103 2010 edit Rank Word 104 Definition1 austerity noun Severity of manners or life extreme rigor or strictness harsh discipline 2 pragmatic adjective Practical concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice not just theory 3 moratorium noun A suspension of an ongoing activity 4 socialism noun Any of various economic and political philosophies that support social equality collective decision making distribution of income based on contribution and public ownership of productive capital and natural resources as advocated by socialists 5 bigot noun One who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices 6 doppelganger noun A ghostly double of a living person especially one that haunts such a person An evil twin A remarkably similar double A person who has the same name as another A fantastic monster that takes the forms of people usually after killing them 7 shellacking noun A heavy defeat drubbing or beating used particularly in sports and political contexts 8 ebullient adjective Boiling agitated enthusiastic high spirited 9 dissident noun A person who formally opposes the current political structure opposes the political group in power opposes the policies of the political group in power or opposes current laws 10 furtive adjective Stealthy Exhibiting guilty or evasive secrecy Austerity was the most searched for word of 2010 Interest in the word reached its highest point around May 1 105 the day the Greek government announced a series of austerity measures but its popularity remained strong throughout the year Peter Sokolowski Merriam Webster editor at large said Austerity clearly resonates with many people We often hear it used in the context of government measures but we also apply it to our own personal finances and what is sometimes called the new normal Barack Obama used the word shellacking in November 2010 when acknowledging his party s losses in the US mid term elections 106 and lookups of ebullient peaked in October as thirty three Chilean miners were successfully rescued after 69 days trapped underground 107 2011 edit Rank Word 108 Definition1 pragmatic adjective Practical concerned with making decisions and actions that are useful in practice not just theory 2 ambivalence noun The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings such as love and hate towards a person object or idea A state of uncertainty or indecisiveness 3 insidious adjective Producing harm in a stealthy often gradual manner Intending to entrap alluring but harmful 4 didactic adjective Instructive or intended to teach or demonstrate especially with regard to morality Excessively moralizing 5 austerity noun Severity of manners or life extreme rigor or strictness harsh discipline 6 diversity noun The quality of being diverse or different difference or unlikeness 7 capitalism noun A socio economic system based on private property rights including the private ownership of resources or capital with economic decisions made largely through the operation of a market unregulated by the state 8 socialism noun Any of various economic and political philosophies that support social equality collective decision making distribution of income based on contribution and public ownership of productive capital and natural resources as advocated by socialists 9 vitriol noun Bitterly abusive language 10 apres moi le deluge foreign term After me the deluge a remark attributed to Louis XV of France in reference to the impending end of a functioning French monarchy and predicting the French Revolution The word pragmatic was looked up on Merriam Webster s website an unprecedented number of times in 2011 108 Although the popularity of the word wasn t linked to any specific event it received the greatest amount of interest in the latter half of the year as the United States Congress introduced the Budget Control Act and its Supercommittee began to craft deficit reduction plans 109 Ambivalence was also a popular word throughout the year John Moore President of Merriam Webster remarked We think it reflects the public attitude toward a wide range of issues including the economy the ongoing debates in Washington the presidential election and most recently the race for the Republican Party nomination The term vitriol was used frequently in the wake of the January 2011 Tucson shooting which led to a national debate about political rhetoric 108 In November 2011 political commentator David Gergen rounded off a CNN article entitled Have they gone nuts in Washington with the phrase apres moi le deluge 110 The expression attributed to Louis XV typifies the attitude of those who don t care about the future because they won t be around to face the consequences of their actions 111 2012 edit Rank Word 107 Definition1 socialism noun Any of various economic and political philosophies that support social equality collective decision making distribution of income based on contribution and public ownership of productive capital and natural resources as advocated by socialists capitalism noun A socio economic system based on private property rights including the private ownership of resources or capital with economic decisions made largely through the operation of a market unregulated by the state 2 touche interjection An acknowledgement of the success appropriateness or superiority of an argument or discussion 3 bigot noun One who is obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices 4 marriage noun The state of being married A union of two or more people that creates a family tie and carries legal and or social rights and responsibilities A ceremony in which people wed 5 democracy noun Rule by the people especially as a form of government either directly or through elected representatives A government under the direct or representative rule of the people of its jurisdiction Belief in political freedom and equality the spirit of democracy 6 professionalism noun The status methods character or standards expected of a professional or of a professional organization such as reliability discretion evenhandedness and fair play 7 globalization noun The process of going to a more interconnected world The process of making world economy dominated by capitalist models 8 malarkey noun Nonsense rubbish 9 schadenfreude noun Malicious enjoyment derived from observing someone else s misfortune 10 meme noun Any unit of cultural information such as a practice or idea that is transmitted verbally or by repeated action from one mind to another A thought idea joke or concept that spreads online often virally in the form of e g an image a video an email an animation or music The popularity of many of the words on Merriam Webster s 2012 list were influenced by the commentary and debate that surrounded that year s US presidential election Socialism and capitalism were frequently referred to during the party conventions and the televised debates interest in socialism spiked on the day of the election November 6 2012 107 The word malarkey was used several times by Joe Biden during his vice presidential debate with Paul Ryan on October 11 112 and meme captured the public imagination after a remark made by Mitt Romney about binders full of women on October 16 went viral 113 Touche remained a popular word throughout the year This was partly as a result of a new technology of the same name being announced by Disney Research however John Morse President of Merriam Webster suggested that touche was simply a word enjoying a period of increased popular use perhaps as a byproduct of the growing amount of verbal jousting in our culture especially through social media 107 2013 edit Rank Word 114 Definition1 science noun Knowledge about or study of the natural world based on facts learned through experiments and observation 2 cognitive adjective Of relating to being or involving conscious intellectual activity 3 rapport noun A friendly relationship 4 communication noun The act or process of using words sounds signs or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas thoughts feelings etc to someone else 5 niche noun A job activity etc that is very suitable for someone The situation in which a business s products or services can succeed by being sold to a particular kind or group of people6 ethic noun Rules of behavior based on ideas about what is morally good and bad 7 paradox noun Something such as a situation that is made up of two opposite things and that seems impossible but is actually true or possible 8 visceral adjective Coming from strong emotions and not from logic or reason 9 integrity noun The quality of being honest and fair The state of being complete or whole 10 metaphor noun a word or phrase for one thing that is used to refer to another thing in order to show or suggest that they are similar An object activity or idea that is used as a symbol of something elseThe popularity of the word science in 2013 was driven by debates around climate change and science in education Further debates around pseudoscience and whether science can answer all of life s questions further drove its popularity Cognitive s popularity was principally driven by ongoing issues with relation to concussion in American professional sports The popularity of rapport and communication was principally driven by Edward Snowden s revelations around the NSA s global surveillance 114 2014 edit Rank Word 115 116 Definition 117 1 culture noun The beliefs customs arts etc of a particular society group place or time 2 nostalgia noun Pleasure and sadness that is caused by remembering something from the past and wishing that you could experience it again 3 insidious adjective Causing harm in a way that is gradual or not easily noticed 4 legacy noun Something that happened in the past or that comes from someone in the past 5 feminism noun The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities6 je ne sais quoi noun A pleasant quality that is hard to describe 7 innovation noun A new idea device or method the act or process of introducing new ideas devices or methods 8 surreptitious adjective Done in a secret way 9 autonomy noun The state of existing or acting separately from others the power or right of a country group etc to govern itself 10 morbidity noun The quality or state of being morbid2015 edit Rank Word 118 Definition1 ism suffix A suffix that forms abstract nouns of action state condition doctrine2 socialism noun Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods3 fascism noun A political philosophy movement or regime as that of the Fascisti that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader4 racism noun A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race5 feminism noun The belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities6 communism noun A theory advocating elimination of private property a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed7 capitalism noun An economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods by investments that are determined by private decision and by prices production and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market8 terrorism noun The systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion9 marriage noun The legally or formally recognized union of a man and a woman or in some jurisdictions two people of the same sex as partners in a relationship10 hypocrite noun A person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelingsThe suffix ism goes all the way back to Ancient Greek and was used in Latin and medieval French on its way to English Originally it turned a verb into a noun think of baptize and baptism criticize and criticism or plagiarize and plagiarism It has since acquired many other uses including identifying a religion or practice Calvinism vegetarianism a prejudice based on a specific quality sexism ageism an adherence to a system stoicism altruism a condition based on excess of something alcoholism or a characteristic feature or trait colloquialism 118 2016 edit Rank Word 119 1 surreal2 revenant3 icon4 in omnia paratus5 bigly6 deplorable7 irregardless8 assumpsit9 faute de mieux10 feckless2017 edit Rank Word 120 1 feminism2 complicit3 recuse4 empathy5 dotard6 syzygy7 gyro8 federalism9 hurricane10 gaffe2018 edit Rank Word 121 1 justice2 nationalism3 pansexual4 lodestar5 epiphany6 feckless7 laurel8 pissant9 respect10 maverick11 excelsior2019 edit Rank Word 122 123 Definition1 they pronoun Used to refer to a single person whose gender is intentionally not revealed or Used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary 15 2 quid pro quo noun Something given or received for something else or A deal arranging a quid pro quo 3 impeach verb To charge with a crime or misdemeanor and To cast doubt on 4 crawdad noun Refers to the aquatic animal that looks like a small lobster and lives in rivers and streams i e to what s also known as a crawfish or crayfish 5 egregious adjective Modern English Conspicuously bad Original meaning Distinguished or Eminent 6 clemency noun Reduction of punishment 7 the definite article Pronounced de before words that begin with consonants the governor and di before words that begin with a vowel di can also indicate emphasis or suggest uniqueness THE Ohio State University 8 snitty adjective Disagreeably ill tempered 9 tergiversation noun Evasion of straightforward action or clear cut statement or Desertion of a cause position party or faith 10 camp noun A style or mode of personal or creative expression that is absurdly exaggerated and often fuses elements of high and popular culture or Something so outrageously artificial affected inappropriate or out of date as to be considered amusing 11 exculpate verb To clear from alleged fault or guilt Searches for they increased by 313 in 2019 over 2018 the use of they to refer to one person whose gender identity is nonbinary was added to the Merriam Webster com dictionary in September 2019 Quid pro quo is most often used in legal texts and interest in the term is primarily attributed to the Trump Ukraine scandal Interest in crawdad is attributed to the novel Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens A Boeing pilot used egregious in describing an issue with the Boeing 737 MAX groundings The Ohio State University tried to trademark the word The later succeeding Attorney General William Barr used snitty to describe the Mueller Report Merriam Webster describes the word as a child of the 1970s 15 On January 23 The Washington Post columnist George Will wrote During the government shutdown Graham s tergiversations sorry this is the precise word have amazed 15 A fashion exhibit at The Met sparked interest in camp 2020 edit Rank Word 124 Definition1 pandemic noun An outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area such as multiple countries or continents and typically affects a significant proportion of the population 2 Coronavirus noun Any of a family Coronaviridae of large single stranded RNA viruses that have a lipid envelope studded with club shaped spike proteins infect birds and many mammals including humans and include the causative agents of MERS SARS and COVID 19 3 defund verb To withdraw funding from 4 Mamba noun Any of several chiefly arboreal venomous green or black elapid snakes genus Dendroaspis of sub Saharan Africa 5 Kraken noun A Scandinavian sea monster 6 quarantine noun A restraint upon the activities or communication of persons or the transport of goods designed to prevent the spread of disease or pests 7 antebellum adjective Existing before a war especially the American Civil War 8 schadenfreude noun Enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others 9 asymptomatic adjective Not causing marked by or presenting with signs or symptoms of infection illness or disease 10 irregardless adjective Nonstandard form of regardless 11 icon noun A person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere 12 malarkey noun Insincere or foolish talk Pandemic coronavirus quarantine and asymptomatic are all in reference to the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic Amid the George Floyd protests of May 2020 and beyond many Black Lives Matter supporters called on local governments to defund the police leading defund to have a 6 059 increase in lookups from 2019 to 2020 125 ensuing national conversations about references to the American Civil War led to the country music trio formerly known as Lady Antebellum changing their name to Lady A ensuing a similar 885 increase in lookups 126 Mamba and kraken are both sports references to The Black Mamba Kobe Bryant who died in January 2020 127 and the expansion National Hockey League franchise Seattle Kraken 128 respectively Actress Jamie Lee Curtis Tweeted in July 2020 that Merriam Webster had recently added irregardless a double negative to the dictionary although the dictionary had entered it in 1934 129 A frequent entry in victorious US Presidential candidate Joe Biden s vocabulary malarkey saw its second appearance in the top 10 the other being in 2012 during his re election campaign for Vice President 112 2021 edit Rank Word 16 1 vaccine2 insurrection3 perseverance4 woke5 nomad6 infrastructure7 cicada8 murraya9 cisgender10 guardian11 meta2022 edit Rank Word 17 1 gaslighting2 oligarch3 omicron4 codify5 LGBTQIA6 sentient7 loamy8 raid9 queen consort2023 edit Rank Word Definition1 authentic adjective Not false or imitation real actual2 rizz noun Romantic appeal or charm3 deepfake noun An image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said 4 coronation noun The act or occasion of crowning5 dystopian adjective Of relating to or being an imagined world or society in which people lead dehumanized fearful lives6 EGOT noun The accomplishment of winning an Emmy Grammy Oscar and Tony Award in one s lifetime7 X noun The 24th letter of the English alphabet8 implode verb To burst inward9 Doppelganger noun A living person that closely resembles another living person a double10 covenant noun A usually formal solemn and binding agreement11 indict verb To charge with a crime by the finding or presentment of a jury such as a grand jury in due form of law12 element noun Any of the four substances air water fire and earth formerly believed to compose the physical universe13 kibbutz noun A communal farm or settlement in Israel14 deadname noun The name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses upon transitioningThe increase in searches for authentic was driven by stories and conversations about artificial intelligence AI celebrity culture identity and social media with AI technologies like deepfake blurring the lines between real and fake The coronation of Charles III and Camilla took place on May 6 2023 Interest in dystopian was driven by warning about AI as well as the 2023 Canadian wildfires which in June covered much of Canada and the United States in smoke evoking a dystopian landscape The actress Viola Davis achieved the EGOT in February The social media networking service Twitter was rebranded to X by owner Elon Musk in July The submersible Titan imploded while on an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic Doppelganger saw multiple spikes from independent events one of which was the release of the book Doppelganger by academic and activist Naomi Klein The same goes for covenant event that drove an increase in lookups for the word include a school shooting at The Covenant school at Nashville Tennessee the release of the film Guy Ritchie s The Covenant and the novel The Covenant of Water Former US president Donald Trump was indicted on four separate cases Pixar released the animated film Elemental In the 2023 Hamas led attack on Israel several kibbutzim were targeted Searches for deadname increased due to the passage of anti LGBT curriculum laws in several US states which prohibit or limit the mention or discussion of homosexuality and transgender identity in schools 19 18 References edit a b c d Solomon Wendy 2005 12 25 The Nation Integrity Often Questioned in 05 The most checked word in Webster s online and slang like infosnacking catch linguists eyes Los Angeles Times a b Blog picked as word of the year The term blog has been chosen as the top word of 2004 by a US dictionary publisher BBC News 2004 12 01 Retrieved 2007 12 29 a b c Newman Andrew Adam 2007 12 10 How Dictionaries Define Publicity the Word of the Year The New York Times Archived from the original on 2010 11 20 Retrieved 2010 11 20 a b Merriam Webster launches Word of the Year online poll CNET 2007 11 27 Retrieved 2007 12 29 Simmons Christopher 2004 11 30 Merriam Webster Announces 2004 Words of the Year Publishers Newswire Archived from the original on May 16 2008 Retrieved 2008 06 03 a b c Merriam Webster Announces 2003 Words of the Year The Write News Writers Write 2004 01 23 Retrieved 2008 06 04 Reitz Stephanie November 26 2008 Bailout named word of the year Boston Globe Retrieved February 3 2013 a b democracy Webster s Student s Dictionary amp Thesaurus Geddes amp Grosset 2007 p 100 ISBN 978 1 84205 557 1 a b blog Encyclopaedia Britannica Online School Edition Encyclopaedia Britannica 2008 Retrieved 2008 04 28 a b c d e f g Miller Sara 2005 12 20 Why integrity was such a sought after word this year It beat refugee and contempt as the most looked up word of 2005 according to Merriam Webster s online dictionary The Christian Science Monitor p 02 a b Meyer Dick 2006 12 12 The Truth Of Truthiness CBS News CBS Retrieved 2008 03 09 a b c Merriam Webster s Word of the Year 2007 Merriam Webster 2007 Archived from the original on 2008 05 09 Retrieved 2009 03 16 a b c Merriam Webster s Word of the Year 2008 Merriam Webster 2008 Archived from the original on 2009 04 23 Retrieved 2009 03 05 a b c Merriam Webster s Word of the Year 2009 Merriam Webster 2009 Archived from the original on 2010 01 18 Retrieved 2009 02 22 a b c d 1 Merriam Webster definitions c and d Retrieved Jan 1 2020 a b Merriam Webster s Word of the Year 2021 Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2023 02 16 Retrieved 2023 11 29 a b Word of the Year 2022 Merriam Webster Retrieved 2023 11 29 a b Italie Leanne 2023 11 28 What s Merriam Webster s word of the year for 2023 Hint Be true to yourself Associated Press Retrieved 2023 11 29 a b Word of the Year 2023 Merriam Webster 2023 11 27 Archived from the original on 2023 11 29 Retrieved 2023 11 29 a b c d Previous Words of the Year Merriam Webster 2007 Archived from the original on 2012 11 05 Retrieved 2007 12 29 quagmire The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 15 quarantine Webster s Student s Dictionary amp Thesaurus Geddes amp Grosset 2007 p 347 ISBN 978 1 84205 557 1 quarantine The American Heritage Stedman s Medical Dictionary Houghton Mifflin 2002 Retrieved 2008 05 15 matrix Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 15 matrix The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 15 a b matrix WordNet 3 0 ed Princeton University 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 15 matrix Webster s Student s Dictionary amp Thesaurus Geddes amp Grosset 2007 p 263 ISBN 978 1 84205 557 1 marriage The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 16 slog Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 20 gubernatorial The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 20 plagiarism Webster s Student s Dictionary amp Thesaurus Geddes amp Grosset 2007 p 324 ISBN 978 1 84205 557 1 outage The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 20 batten Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 20 batten WordNet 3 0 ed Princeton University Retrieved 2008 05 20 Bakalar Scott 2007 12 19 The Word of the Year Word of Mouth Archived from the original on 2008 01 03 Retrieved 2008 06 04 Incumbent Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 174 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 electoral Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 04 28 a b Shostak Jerome 2005 6 Vocabulary Workshop Level F Vocabulary Workshop New ed New York City William H Sadlier p 67 ISBN 0 8215 7111 7 hurricane Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 04 28 cicada American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin Company 2006 Retrieved 2008 04 07 Glossary Point Premium Root Beer International Cycling Classic presented by Time Warner Cable Breakaway Event Productions 2005 11 25 Archived from the original on 2008 04 15 Retrieved 2008 05 10 partisan Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 10 sovereignty WordNet 3 0 ed Princeton University 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 10 defenestration Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 05 10 refugee Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 280 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 refuge Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 280 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 insipid Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 180 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 tsunami American Heritage Science Dictionary Houghton Mifflin 2002 Retrieved 2008 04 21 conclave Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 61 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 levee WordNet 3 0 ed Princeton University 2006 Retrieved 2008 04 27 inept The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin 2006 Retrieved 2008 04 27 Walker Ruth 2006 01 04 The words that made 2005 The Christian Science Monitor p 18 Dictionary reveals US word of the year China Daily 2005 12 12 p 7 google Webster s New Millennium Dictionary of English Lexico 2008 Retrieved 2008 03 15 decide Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 War Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 371 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 terrorism Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 19 Vendetta Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 365 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 vendetta Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 19 sectarian Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 19 sect Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 19 sectarian The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 19 Quagmire Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 272 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 quagmire Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 24 corruption WordNet 3 0 ed Princeton University 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 24 Merriam Webster s Words of the Year 2006 Merriam Webster 2007 Retrieved 2007 12 29 a b Bierma Nathan 2006 12 27 Talking about the word of the year Chicago Tribune Anonymous 2007 01 24 Truthiness The Word of the Year News for You The Associated Press 2006 12 12 Word of year has ring of you know The Grand Rapids Press p A 6 Vote Colbert The Candidate Running for Both Parties The Independent 2007 10 20 a b c w00t voted Merriam Webster word of the year Google News Agence France Presse 2007 12 12 Retrieved 2008 03 08 conundrum Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 16 quixotic Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 16 Blamestorming Webster s New Millennium Dictionary of English Lexico 2008 Retrieved 2008 03 08 Quinion Michael 2007 12 15 Sardoodledom World Wide Words Retrieved 2008 03 08 Apathetic Webster s Expanded Dictionary P S I amp Associates 1991 p 17 ISBN 0 938261 79 7 Pecksniffian American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth ed Houghton Mifflin 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 08 Hyprocrit Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 08 charlatan Dictionary com Unabridged v 1 1 ed Random House 2006 Retrieved 2008 03 08 Reitz Stephanie 2007 12 11 Merriam Webster s Word of 07 W00t ABC News ABCNews Internet Ventures Archived from the original on June 5 2008 Retrieved 2008 06 19 Szep Jason 2007 12 11 w00t crowned word of year by U S dictionary Reuters Retrieved 2008 06 03 Nizza Mike 2007 12 13 Word of the Year Ritual Pauses for Puzzlement The New York Times Retrieved 2008 06 03 Arendt Susan 2007 12 12 Woot Named Merriam Webster s Word of the Year Wired CondeNet Retrieved 2008 06 20 Reitz Stephanie December 11 2007 Merriam Webster s Word of 07 W00t Winner in Merriam Webster s Online Word of the Year Poll Something for Gamers to W00t About ABC News Archived from the original on January 12 2008 Stone Brad 2007 12 07 Facebook The New York Times Retrieved 2008 03 17 vet Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 socialism Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 maverick Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 bipartisan Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 trepidation Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 precipice Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 rogue Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 misogyny Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 turmoil Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2009 Retrieved 2009 03 06 emaciated Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 empathy Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 furlough Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 inaugurate Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 nugatory Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 pandemic Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 philanderer Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 repose Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 rogue Merriam Webster s Online Dictionary Merriam Webster 2010 Retrieved 2010 02 22 Words of the Year 2010 Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2011 01 12 Retrieved February 1 2013 Austerity Merriam Webster Retrieved February 3 2013 Shellacking Merriam Webster Retrieved February 3 2013 a b c d Words of the Year 2012 Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2012 12 14 Retrieved February 1 2013 a b c Words of the Year 2011 Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2012 01 12 Retrieved February 1 2013 Reitz Stephanie December 26 2011 Merriam Webster picks Pragmatic as Word of Year Tulsa World Retrieved February 3 2013 Gergen David November 21 2011 Have they gone nuts in Washington CNN Retrieved February 3 2013 Apres moi le deluge Merriam Webster Retrieved February 3 2013 a b Malarkey Merriam Webster Retrieved February 3 2013 Meme Merriam Webster Retrieved February 3 2013 a b Word of the Year 2013 Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2013 12 04 Retrieved December 5 2013 2014 Word of the Year Culture Merriam Webster Retrieved 2023 11 30 Word of the Year 2014 Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2014 12 27 Retrieved December 27 2014 Merriam Webster Online Merriam Webster Retrieved 27 December 2014 a b Merriam Webster s Word of the Year 2015 Merriam Webster Retrieved 2023 11 29 Word of the Year 2016 Merriam Webster s 2017 Words of the Year Merriam Webster Retrieved 2023 11 29 Word of the Year 2018 Merriam Webster Retrieved 2023 11 29 This gender neutral pronoun beat impeach and quid pro quo as Merriam Webster s Word of the Year by Marrissa Higgins Daily Kos Dec 10 2019 Merriam Webster s Words of the Year 2019 Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2023 05 31 Retrieved 2021 04 16 Merriam Webster s Word of the Year 2020 Merriam Webster Archived from the original on 2020 11 30 Retrieved 2021 04 16 Defund merriam webster com Merriam Webster Dictionaries Retrieved 16 August 2021 Antebellum merriam webster com Merriam Webster Dictionaries Retrieved 16 August 2021 Mamba merriam webster com Merriam Webster Dictionaries Retrieved 16 August 2021 Kraken merriam webster com Merriam Webster Dictionaries Retrieved 16 August 2021 Irregardless merriam webster com Merriam Webster Dictionaries Retrieved 16 August 2021 External links editMerriam Webster Online nbsp This article includes a language related list of lists Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lists of Merriam Webster 27s Words of the Year amp oldid 1187675367, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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