Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary thesaurus view recents
john lewis portrait
John Lewis 'Funeralized'

John Lewis goes home

serenity-carr-definitely-image
How to Remember the Spelling of 'Definitely'

A definitive answer.

pukue-summer-graphic
Help Your Kids Beat the Summer Slump

With our free Puku Summer Camp!

jugs of chemicals
Scientific Words for Harsh Speech

They may bite, burn, or leave a bad taste.

papercraft sunset
July 2020 Words of the Day Quiz

Warm nights and quizzes.

2018 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Editor Peter Sokolowski discusses 'justice' and the rest of our Word of the Year 2018 selections

play word of the year 2018 woty behind the scenes
Up Next
Title
CANCEL
word of the year 2018 woty behind the scenes
36,193 views
Featuring: Peter Sokolowski

How did we choose justice as our Word of the Year? Peter Sokolowski explains the data behind our decisions, and how this and the other Words of the Year reflect what was on people's minds this year.

Comments

show hide

Up Next

Autoplay
play word of the year 2018 woty behind the scenes
2018 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

 

36,193 views

play serenity-carr-definitely-image
How to Remember the Spelling of 'Definitely'

 

86,091 views

play peter-sokolowski-indict-graphic
Video: Why Is There a 'C' in 'Indict'?

 

51,593 views

play cartoon-of-british-nobility
Why Did Yankee Doodle Call a Feather 'Macaroni'?

 

35,565 views

play emily-brewster-with-the-words-effect-affect-on-screen
How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

 

140,535 views

play alt-5db61f2bd1cc5
How Do You Pronounce 'Groceries'?

 

64,489 views

play alt-5dee7ce4037ca
2019 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

 

51,298 views

play hanger-hangar-illustrations
Is It 'Hanger' or 'Hangar'?

 

34,159 views

play alt-5da761a78c031
Why Do People Pronounce It "Nucular"?

 

34,068 views

play contractions
On Contractions of Multiple Words

 

84,233 views

play onomatopoeia video
A Look at Uncommon Onomatopoeia

 

57,371 views

play body parts video
When Body Parts Are Also Verbs

 

40,272 views

play ismo merriam webster trunk boot
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "Junk in the Trunk"

 

61,557 views

play ismo merriam webster tip
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "People Tipping"

 

34,892 views

play ismo merriam webster one
Some Odd Words with ISMO: "The One-derful Won"

 

54,115 views

play image1815466723
How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

156,419 views

play video ghost words
Ghost Word

 

286,461 views

play image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

 

249,770 views

play video title words of the year 1066
Words of the Year: 1066

 

534,371 views

play serial comma
The Serial Comma

 

429,466 views

play peter_talk_about_word_of_the_year_2016
2016 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

 

176,366 views

play hot mess
Hot Mess

 

145,191 views

play mrs malaprop
Malaprop

 

84,294 views

play alright allright video
Alright vs. All Right

 

124,619 views

play backward index mystery
The True Story of the Backward Index

 

72,294 views

play is none singular or plural video
Is None Singular or Plural?

 

121,826 views

play there theyre their video
There, They're, Their

 

97,034 views

play video his or her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

 

238,703 views

play sneaked vs snuck video
Sneaked vs. Snuck

 

51,403 views

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

 

58,337 views

play how to read a french menu video
How to Read a French Menu

 

45,787 views

play further vs farther video
Further vs. Farther

 

40,907 views

play video lay vs lie
Lay vs. Lie

 

309,018 views

play video title attorney generals
Is It 'Attorney Generals' Or 'Attorneys General'?

 

277,263 views

play fun funner funnest
Fun, Funner, Funnest

 

248,595 views

play video 20014 word of the year
2014 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

 

120,950 views

play video websters video of 1864
Webster's Dictionary of 1864

 

60,196 views

play video old school grammar humorsome
Old-School Grammar

 

235,295 views

play video schwa
Schwa

 

145,499 views

play video cynic
Cynic

 

33,149 views

play video ie vs eg
i.e. vs. e.g.

 

154,419 views

play video our dictionary through time
Our Dictionary Through Time

 

19,248 views

play video its vs its
Its vs. It's

 

71,948 views

play video healthy vs healthful
Healthy vs. Healthful

 

100,443 views

play videos pictures in the dictionary
Pictures in the Dictionary

 

20,513 views

play video between you and i or me
I vs. Me

 

57,811 views

play video literally
Literally

 

390,519 views

play video mischievous nulcear library mispronunciations
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

 

81,179 views

play video how a word gets into the dicionary
How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

 

40,621 views

play video new words for 2011
New Dictionary Words for 2011

 

15,731 views

play video drive safe ly
Drive Safe: In Praise of Flat Adverbs

 

103,106 views

play video soup vs soop
Soop vs. Soup

 

65,551 views

play video hopefully
Hopefully

 

83,624 views

play video ending a sentence with a preposition
Ending a Sentence with a Preposition

 

137,758 views

play video who vs whom
Who vs. Whom

 

65,448 views

play video resuscitate stricken icon condolences rip and other words that spiked when michael jackson died
Michael Jackson

 

28,288 views

play video affect vs effect
Affect vs. Effect

 

90,036 views

See All Videos
Words at Play
Word Games