play word of the year 2015 video
Words of the Year

2015 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Editor Peter Sokolowski talks about our Word of the Year selections.



The words people look up show our curiosity, and the lookups are just the beginning of reflection on and discussion of the topics that are on our minds.

See how we select our Word of the Year, along with the full list of words.

And get details about all the lookups, including the events that triggered them, at our Word of the Year Gallery.

Up next

play word of the year 2015 video
2015 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

 

Peter Sokolowski talks about the year's selections

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I vs. Me

 

'Between you and __'? Simple guidance for a tricky pronoun.

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How a Ghost Word Appeared in the Dictionary

 

An imaginary word that snuck into the dictionary

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Healthy vs. Healthful

 

Why both words are equally good for you.

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The Serial Comma Explained

 

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

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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