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Merriam-Webster gives its dictionary a ‘glow-up’ with 1,400 new words and definitions

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Cite

Lavietes, M. (2026, September 16). Merriam-Webster gives its dictionary a ‘glow-up’ with 1,400 new words and definitions. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/merriam-webster-gives-dictionary-glow-1400-new-words-definitions-rcna598097

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

NBC News · collected 2026-09-16 · by Matt Lavietes

Quick Summary

Merriam-Webster recently updated its dictionary with 1,400 new words and definitions, reflecting current language usage trends. The additions include trendy terms like "shapewear," "looksmaxxing," and "meme coin," as well as more nuanced concepts such as "parasocial" relationships and the phenomenon of "cuffing season." The update also includes technological and cultural references, such as definitions for "uncanny valley" and the impact of AI on digital content quality.
Written by AI on 2026-09-16, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Merriam-Webster updated its dictionary with 1,400 new words and definitions, reflecting contemporary usage trends. The additions include social media slang like "cuffing season," which refers to the period when people seek short-term romantic partners during colder months, and tech-related terms such as "AGI" (Artificial General Intelligence) and "uncanny valley." Other notable inclusions are lifestyle terms like “superfood,” indicating nutrient-rich foods, and fashion phrases like “shapewear.” The company emphasizes that word inclusion is a rigorous process involving senior editors reviewing initial judgments without formal committees or advocacy meetings.

Written for “Merriam Webster Dictionary Update” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Merriam Webster Dictionary Update
Education · 2 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary just added 1,400 new words to stay on top of slang Same event
The Globe and Mail
Hedges 0 of 16 claims Outlet record 52/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
14
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 14 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
60/100
NBC News's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Education
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-16 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

NBC News · 1987 article(s) · 1 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 1 correction(s)
2026-10-29
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Who wrote this

Matt Lavietes
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Also by Matt Lavietes
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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 18 articles by Matt Lavietes →

Topics

Merriam-Webster Merriam-Webster’s

Subjects

Merriam-Webster ORG · 4× Merriam-Webster’s ORG · 1×

Narrative

“The definer must judge whether there is enough evidence to put a new word in; that judgment will be reviewed by more senior colleagues as the dictionary moves through the editorial process, but there’s no committee, no advocacy, no meetings for new word inclusion,” the company said.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-16
🔮 “The definer must judge whether there is enough evidence to put a new word in; that judgment will be reviewed by more senior colleagues as the dictionary moves through the editorial process, but there’s no committee, no advocacy, no meetings for new word inclusion,” the company said.
2026-09-16 · NBC News
Merriam-Webster gives its dictionary a ‘glow-up’ with 1,400 new words and definitions · assertive framing

Claims (14 extracted, 0 hedged)

Merriam-Webster is giving its dictionary another “glow-up,” adding 1,400 words and definitions. asserted
Webster → give → words
The dictionary publisher announced the additions on its website Tuesday. asserted
publisher → announce → website
The new words and definitions include “shapewear,” “looksmaxxing” and “meme coin.” asserted
words → include → shapewear
“The new entries reflect words and meanings that have demonstrated widespread use over time, offering a window into the world today,” it said in the release. asserted
it → reflect → release
Other words and definitions that made it into the dictionary include “parasocial,” “compute,” “vibe coding” and “superfood” (food rich in nutrients, including salmon, broccoli and blueberries). asserted
that → make → salmon
As temperatures drop across the country, Merriam-Webster fittingly added “cuffing season” to its dictionary. asserted
Webster → drop → dictionary
The company defines the term as “a time of the year when people who are not married or in a relationship begin looking for a short-term romantic partner to spend the colder months of the year with.” asserted
who → define → year
And amid widespread fears in recent days about AI’s impact on humanity, the company added “uncanny valley” to its collection of definitions. asserted
company → add → definitions
Merriam-Webster defines the term as “that creepy feeling that results from something artificial appearing almost—but not quite—human.” asserted
something → define → feeling
The nod to AI follows Merriam-Webster’s word of 2025, “slop,” which it defines as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” asserted
that → follow → intelligence
Merriam-Webster has not yet announced a Word of the Year for 2026. asserted
Webster → announce → 2026
The company typically makes the announcement in the final quarter of the year. asserted
company → make → year
The company said on its website that it adds new words and phrases to its repertoire based on frequent, widespread and meaningful use. asserted
it → say → use
“The definer must judge whether there is enough evidence to put a new word in; that judgment will be reviewed by more senior colleagues as the dictionary moves through the editorial process, but there’s no committee, no advocacy, no meetings for new word inclusion,” the company said. asserted
company → judge → inclusion
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