Merriam Webster Adds A Set Of 2020 Words To The Dictionary

The struggles of 2020 will certainly be etched into the fabric of society for a long time, and now the words of 2020 will be too.

Today, Merriam-Webster announced it was adding 535 new words and phrases to the dictionary, many of which are buzzwords of the modern era.

After an update last month that added several coronavirus-related terms including "social distancing", "COVID-19", "contact tracing" and "community spread" to the dictionary, April's update has added "self-isolate," "physical distancing," and the abbreviation "WFH" (work from home). Medical terminology including "Epidemic curve" and "herd immunity" has also been added, along with a list of phobias relating to fear of medical treatment.

Troubling phenomena of the modern internet such as "deepfake", "Dark Web" have also been added to the dictionary.

The update isn't all gloomy words, however. Merriam-Webster, ever-adaptable to the evolution of modern speech, has also added entries for recent slang words like "Finna" and added an extra definition for "Thirsty": "showing a strong desire for attention, approval, or publicity." ("This new use demonstrates how English speakers love to use metaphor to push words into new territories," Merriam Webster wrote).

Finally, Merriam-Webster added a definition for "Truthiness," a Stephen Colbert-ism which Merriam-Webster said has "a special place in our hearts." According to the dictionary's editors:

At a time when truths of various kinds are under siege, and facts and news are put into constant question, English speakers find it useful to have a special word for the kind of unproven and unprovable utterances that don’t measure up to the standards of evidence and research that are required for consensus and understanding. This could help us all keep truth as a word that matters.