Merriam-Webster news stories on Newser

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year Is...

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 06:50:43 CST

Merriam-Webster’s word of the year—pragmatic—may not be exciting, but at least it’s slightly less depressing than last year’s word, austerity. The editors chose the word because it was looked up so often on its online dictionary, particularly before August’s debt ceiling vote and during the congressional supercommittee’s meetings....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year: Austerity

Rob Quinn — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 06:20:13 CST

Austerity measures announced by governments across Europe this year sparked a surge in civil unrest, and a surge in people trying to find out exactly what the word means. Merriam-Webster says that, based on search trends, the noun—meaning "enforced or extreme economy"—is its word of 2010. AP reports...

School Relents: Webster Dictionary Safe for Kids

Nick McMaster — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:33:31 CST

School authorities in Southern California's Menifee district have reversed a ban on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary after a parent complained about its references to oral sex. A committee of parents and teachers decided the dictionaries can be returned to fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms, the LA Times reports. Concerned parents, however, can...

Webster's Word of the Year: Distracted Driving

Kevin Spak — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:45:00 CST

Webster’s New World Dictionary has named “distracted driving” its Word of the Year, much to the delight of Ray LaHood. The transportation secretary’s crusade to ban distracted driving, which generally refers to talking on the phone or texting while behind the wheel, is part of what brought the word to...

Webster's New Words: Frenemy, Staycation

Harry Kimball — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:48:38 CDT

Merriam-Webster will make 100 additions to its Collegiate dictionary this year, and many may sound familiar, the AP reports. “These are not new words in the language, by any means,” said the publisher. An expert elaborates: They've “been around for a while but for some reason they grabbed the attention...

'Bailout' Named Word of the Year

Peter Fearon — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:20:05 CST

The word "bailout," in frequent use in newspapers, magazines, and TV thanks to the economic meltdown, has been named Merriam-Webster's 2008 Word of the Year, reports the AP. It was the word most looked up on the company's online dictionary, edging out other newly prominent and worrisome terms like "trepidation,...