Among the 500-plus new words and meanings added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary this month is the seemingly innocuous “they.”
The singular “they” has a long history in English, but the term as a non-binary pronoun is relatively new—and immensely important.
So Merriam-Webster has expanded its definition to include its use “to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary.”
“Several new entries are for words that address the complex ways we view ourselves and others and how we all fit in,” the firm said in a blog post.
This is a significant step forward for people whose pronouns are “they” and “them”—traditionally used to refer to a single person of unknown or undetermined gender.
Still, many people—including singer Sam Smith—are met with resistance against the non-binary pronoun.
As Geek sister site Mashable pointed out, “along with being an important show of support for non-binary and genderqueer people, this is simply the dictionary doing its damn job.”
Other new entries regarding race and identity:
- Inclusive: allowing and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (as because of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability)
- Colorism: prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin
“Words can come and go in a language, but those that show staying power and increasing use need to be recorded and described,” Merriam-Webster said.
You can now find abbreviations like “vacay,” “sesh,” and “inspo” surrounded by sobering terms like “deep state” and “red flag law.” Or sports (“Pickleball“) and games (“escape room“) mingling with business jargon (“pain point“).
And, following Dictionary.com’s introduction of relevant and provocative feminist concepts “male gaze” and “toxic masculinity,” Merriam-Webster has defined the Bechdel test—a measure of representation of women in fiction.
“In our latest batch of updates … we see a cross-section of newly established vocabulary ranging from the serious to the playful, from the technical to the informal—with a big of everything in between,” the dictionary said.
More on Geek.com:
- Learn to Speak Like a Millennial With 300+ New Dictionary.com Definitions
- Oxford Dictionary Adds New Slang, Gaming Terms, And a Verb Form of ‘MacGyver’
- Adorkable Is Now a Real Word in the Dictionary
