Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick

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Every two weeks, a newly-added word in Merriam-Webster or Oxford dictionaries, with etymology, usage, and social-context analysis

Updates upon new events

Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick2026-06-24

True crime is now in the dictionary

Merriam-Webster added "true crime" as a noun in May 2026 — first recorded in 1923 — tracing its roots from PIE etymologies through 16th-century crime pamphlets, Truman Capote's *In Cold Blood*, and *Serial*'s 340-million-download explosion to today's streaming era and the ethical debate over who pays the price for the genre's popularity.

Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick2026-06-17

Ultra-processed is now in the dictionary

Merriam-Webster added *ultra-processed* as an adjective in May 2026 — weeks before the federal government agreed on a legal definition of the term. The article traces the word from its coinage in a 2009 Brazilian nutrition journal (Carlos Monteiro's NOVA classification paper, cited 548 times) through its 17-year migration from academic obscurity to political flashpoint, and explains how the MAHA movement turned a scientific term into a policy battleground. Includes pronunciation, etymology, a stats display of key consumption data, a near-synonym comparison table, and practical usage guidance.

Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick2026-06-10

Romantasy is now in the dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary added *romantasy* in March 2026, and Merriam-Webster followed with a full entry. Trace the word's portmanteau roots (Old French *romanz* + Greek *phantasia*), its guerrilla coinage on Urban Dictionary in 2008 — fourteen years before publishers claimed credit — and the BookTok-driven explosion that pushed $610 million in U.S. sales and forced the word into lexicographic legitimacy.

Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick2026-06-03

Late capitalism is now in the dictionary

Merriam-Webster's May 2026 batch officially added *late capitalism* — a phrase born in 1925 German academia, revived by Twitter's ironic meme culture, and now a fully-fledged English dictionary entry. Trace its century-long journey from dense Marxist theory to viral shorthand for $14 prison phone calls and $425 fake-mud jeans.

Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick2026-05-27

Nepo baby is now in the dictionary

Merriam-Webster's May 2026 update officially added *nepo baby* — defined as "a person who gains success or opportunities through familial connections" — to the dictionary. Trace the word's journey from a 2020 blog post and a viral 2022 tweet to New York Magazine's watershed cover story, the celebrity backlash, and finally, lexicographic legitimacy.

Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick2026-05-17

Doomscrolling is now official English

The OED's March 2026 update formally added *doomscrolling*, *doomscroll*, and *doomscroller* — no longer slang. Trace the word's 1,400-year etymology, its murky 2018 Twitter birth, its COVID explosion into mainstream English, and how to use all three forms correctly.

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