Back in April , Dictionary.comupdatedits lexicon with a number of terms that had leap up seemingly overnight , includingCOVID-19,novelcoronavirus , and evenrona . Now , as a will to just how fast language evolves , the on-line dictionary hasadded650 more .
Though the term are n’t all quite as new asrona , they ’ve all lately become prevalent enough to warrant their own dictionary entrance . And they ’re not all related to public wellness crisis , either . Newslangincludesamirite , a abbreviated variant ofAm I right ? ; andzhuzh , a verb meaning “ to make ( something ) more rattling and interesting , fashionable , or appealing , as by a diminished modification or addition ” ( it can also be used as a noun ) .
There ’s a fistful of phrases that describepetsused for service or therapy — aid animal , comfort animal , andemotional support animal , among others — and a couple that help seize the sometimes bizarre landscape of modernparenting . Sharent , a portmanteau ofshareandparent , touch to the act of chronicling your baby ’s life on social mass medium ( or a parent who does it ) ; and prodigal method of publically announce an unbornbaby’sgender are now so widespread thatgender revealis a dictionary - recognized term . Some terms address racist behaviors — whitesplainandbrownface , for example — while others shine how sure the great unwashed of color distinguish their specific ethnicities;Afro - Latina , Afro - Latino , andAfro - Latinxeach have an entry , as doPinay , Pinoy , andPinxy .
In addition to the new entries , Dictionary.com has also tot up 2100 new definition to existing entries and revise another 11,000 existing definition — making it the internet site ’s largest update ever . Blackin reference to ethnicity is now a freestanding entryway from the colorblack , and lexicographer have also disentangle through the dictionary to capitalizeBlackwherever it appear in other entry . They ’ve also replacedhomosexuality — now often count an out-of-date clinical term with a negative intension — withgaynessin other entries , andaddictwitha person addicted toora habitual user of . In short , the great unwashed are constantly make believe language more inclusive and sensitive , and Dictionary.com is working to present those change in the lexicon .
Take a feeling at 50 of Dictionary.com ’s newwordsand phrases below , and learn more about the updateshere .
