Information pollution, jawn, decision fatigue, jolabokaflod, grandfamily, NIL, algo, amalgagender and nepo baby are among the new terms

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Dictionary.com, the leading online and mobile English-language educational resource, today announced 566 new entries, 348 new definitions for existing entries and 2,256 revised definitions, as the dictionary works to keep pace with the ever-changing English language.

Some of the key themes and words for the fall 2023 update include pop culture and slang (jawn, nepo baby, NIL, shower orange); modern problems (information pollution, greenwashing, Big Pharma); artificial intelligence (generative AI, hallucinate, GPT); science and tech (biohacking, algo); health and wellness (decision fatigue, coffee nap, intermittent fasting) identity and relationships (grandfamily, box braids, CODA, gay marry, amalgagender); and climate and extreme weather (climate criminal, climate refugee, atmospheric river).

Dictionary.com is appealing to word lovers with terms like sonder, mountweazel and accismus, and is highlighting how English continues to borrow directly from other languages with additions like jolabokaflod, kakeibo and hanbok.

“People are so creative! As you can imagine, recording the ever-changing language is incredibly enjoyable while also being intellectually stimulating,” said Grant Barrett, head of lexicography at Dictionary.com and co-host of the public radio show A Way with Words. “Even though dictionary-making is what we do, we’re still delighted with the variety, depth and complexity of this big batch of terms. There’s so much that shows how vibrant the language is, as it keeps up with changes in culture and society.”

In this most recent update, Dictionary.com’s lexicographers made dictionary-wide changes to remove binary-gendered phrases like his or her and he or she, which had appeared in hundreds of entries. This change was made for two reasons: inclusivity and usage.

As Dictionary.com explained, “On the inclusivity side, his or her does not include people who use other pronouns. In terms of usage, they is simply much more common as a generic pronoun than he or she, including in spoken and all but the most formal types of written English.”

“We always strive for Dictionary.com to be clear and helpful for our users,” continued Barrett. “Updating binary-gendered phrases makes the entries more similar to how people actually speak and write. The entries are now more natural-sounding.”

Dictionary.com’s newest list of terms can be found at https://www.dictionary.com/e/new-dictionary-words-fall-2023/.

About Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com
Words define every aspect of our lives, from our ideas to our identities. Dictionary.com aspires to empower every person, of every background, to express themselves, make connections, and open the door to opportunity through the power and joy of language. Introduced in 2023, Dictionary.com’s powerful AI-backed writing tool, Grammar Coach™, takes writing from good to great instantly. Dictionary.com is the premier destination to learn, discover, and have fun with the limitless world of words and meanings. The brand helps you make sense of the ever-evolving English language so you can put your ideas into words—and your words into action.

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SOURCE Dictionary.com