SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

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Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

a state or period of senile decay

These Are Fighting Words

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

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Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

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Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

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Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Videos

The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

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2016 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'surreal'

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Alright vs. All Right

Is 'alright' all right?

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Is None Singular or Plural?

Or both? Or neither?

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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Words of the Year: 1066

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How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

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Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

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Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

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Is it 'I Could Care Less' or 'I Couldn't Care Less'?

Because we care

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2016 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

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Grammar and Usage

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If I were you, I'd watch this

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There, They're, Their

There, there. We'll sort it out.

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Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

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Sneaked vs. Snuck

How the irregular _snuck_ sneaked into the dictionary

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Further vs. Farther

They started as same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.

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Bring vs. Take

Both words imply motion, but the difference may be all in your head

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Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

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Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

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Fun, Funner, Funnest

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'

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Word History

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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Okay?

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Soop vs. Soup

Noah Webster: the man who changed the way we spell... up to a point.

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From torture to tailgating—the origins of an American football term.

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Christmas vs. Xmas

The surprising history behind this controversial abbreviation.

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

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Lay vs. Lie

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That vs. Which

When to use each (and when not to get annoyed about their use).

248,571 views

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Fun, Funner, Funnest

Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'

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Old-School Grammar

Many of today's grammar rules can be traced to the opinions of one 18th century writer.

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Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

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Test Your Vocabulary

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Which of the following is a new sense of the word bunny?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

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SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

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Words at Play

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Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

The word's origins are quite literal

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Let's Talk 'Tea'

Spill it, sip it: just make it hot.

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Common terms that come from boxing and wrestling

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The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Word Games

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Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz

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Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game