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Times are changing and the Merriam-Webster dictionary is staying reflective with the new words we’ve created.
On Wednesday, Merriam-Webster added 455 new words and definitions. Some of the terms added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary include “dad-bod,” “Flutternutter,” and “air-fryer.”
As we know and heard, many of the gworlz use the term “dad bod,” when speaking about a man who may have a little extra weight around his belly. According to Merriam-Webster, it’s “a physique regarded as typical of an average father.” The dictionary also described it as “one that is slightly overweight and not extremely muscular.”
Another word added, “Fluffernutter,” is a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow crème. The dictionary also has “amirite,” a shorter phrase for “am I right.” “TBH” was also added, and it stands for “to be honest.”
In an interview with Today, Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, Peter Sokolowski, provided an explanation as to how words are added, and The New York Times or The Atlantic have a lot to do with that.
Sokolowski said, “If a word is used frequently in publications such as The New York Times or The Atlantic, then it goes into the dictionary.”
He also stated that words can’t just appear on social media or memes. They must appear in articles, “We need to see it appear in carefully edited prose over a period of time — and not just in memes and on social media”
While Merrian-Webster says “dad bod” was first used in 2003, Sokolowski stated that the words can be “a little stale” once they are officially entered into the dictionary.
“Slang dictionaries are great and they serve an important function,” Sokolowski said. “But Merriam-Webster has to be more researched. We need to see so much evidence of a word’s use and so by the time it’s entered, it might feel a little stale.”
Earlier this year, “Chile” and “Finna” were also added to the dictionary.
