Every year, logophiles the world over rejoice (or fearfully cower) when the Oxford English Dictionary releases its new word list and “word of the year” in August and November, respectively. However, considering the kinds of people word lovers usually are, they’re probably cowering. So, maybe the latest list of lexical additions from Dictionary.com will give dictionary lovers everywhere cause to celebrate.
If the subject of Bruce Jenner’s interview with Diane Sawyer (or Kris Humphries’ tweet about it) are your thing, then the latest update’s focus on gender will please you. Words of interest include:
agender: relating to a person who does not have a specific gender identity or recognizable gender expression.
bigender: relating to a person who has two gender identities or some combination of both.
gender-fluid: relating to a person whose gender identity or gender expression is not fixed and shifts over time or depending on the situation.
Yet, one of the list’s largest concentrations has to do with, of course, all things internet. Specifically recent coinages like “slacktivism.” You know, that thing most Twitter users do when they try to fight the system from the confines of their Big Red-stained couches:
slacktivism: actions taken to bring about political or social change but requiring only minimal commitment, effort, or risk: students engaging in slacktivism by signing an online petition.
That’s right, slacktivists. Whether or not your angry retweets, sarcastic favorites, or 140-character tirades (in ALL CAPS, no less) actually accomplish anything, the team at Dictionary.com decided to validate your quest with an entry.
Then again, this is the same team that added the word “basic” to the website. Yes, apparently the basic word “basic” — meaning “characterized by predictable or unoriginal style, interests, or behavior” — wasn’t already a part of Dictionary.com.
(Via Dictionary.com)