The Words of the Week - Nov. 7
Dictionary lookups from election day, Los Angeles, and the theater
‘Gubernatorial’
Elections were held around the country on Tuesday for a number of offices, including for governor in some states, leading to a rise in lookups for gubernatorial.
New Jersey’s gubernatorial election between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli is one of the most closely watched contests in the country—and voters may see faster results than in previous years.
—Jelani Gibson, South Jersey Times, 4 Nov. 2025
We define gubernatorial as “of or relating to a governor.” It comes from the Latin noun gubernator, meaning “governor” or “steersman,” which in turn comes from the verb gubernare, meaning “to govern.” The English verb govern, whence governor, also comes from gubernare, but it passed first through Anglo-French, where it became governer.
‘Angeleno’
Lookups for Angeleno and its less common variant Angelino were high following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ World Series victory.
The Dodgers walked into a packed home stadium when their World Series parade was over, waving to an adoring crowd that viewed them as more than back-to-back champions. They were beloved Angelenos.
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Angeleno is a demonym for a native or resident of Los Angeles, California. Its use dates to the mid-1800s and it comes from the American Spanish word angeleño.
‘Referendum’
Lookups were also high for referendum in relation to Tuesday’s elections.
[Mikie] Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and four-term member of Congress, defeated Jack Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, and quickly cast her victory late Tuesday as a referendum on the Republican president and some of his policies—from health care to immigration and the economy.
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Referendum can refer to the principle or practice of submitting to popular vote a measure passed on or proposed by a legislative body or by popular initiative, or to a vote on a measure so submitted.
‘Democratic socialism’
Democratic socialism was a top lookup in connection with the victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral race.
In nearly every facet of Mr. Mamdani’s identity—his ethnicity, his religion, his democratic socialism, his age, Mr. Mamdani represents change. And in his first remarks since he was declared the winner of Tuesday’s election, Mr. Mamdani, 34, shied away from none of that.
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Socialism refers to any of various egalitarian economic and political theories or movements advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods. We define democratic socialism specifically as “a political movement calling for the establishment of a decentralized socialist economic system within a democratically run political system.”
‘Immigrant’
Immigrant was also a top lookup this week, perhaps related to Zohran Mamdani’s first speech as mayor-elect.
Then, drawing perhaps the loudest roar of all, Mamdani said: “New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
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We define the relevant sense of immigrant as “a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence.” Do not confuse emigrant with immigrant. Both of these words come from the Latin migrare (“to move from one place to another”), and both have definitions in English that hew closely to their etymological roots, but there is a distinction in meaning between the two. Emigrant is used in reference to the country that has been left (“an emigrant from the US”), while immigrant is used in reference the country that one is destined for (“an immigrant to the US”).
Word Worth Knowing: ‘Sardoodledom’
Sardoodledom refers to “mechanically contrived plot structure and stereotyped or unrealistic characterization in drama.” Or, in other words, staginess or melodrama. The first element of the word, sardoodle-, is a blend of the last name of Victorien Sardou, a French playwright criticized by English playwright George Bernard Shaw, and doodle.
Not that there is anything new in the way the piece has been built up; it conforms to the well-tried laws of Sardoodledom—the exposition, the scène à faire, and so on.
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