Culture

The Most Quintessentially 2018 Additions to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

From 'Dumpster Fire' To 'Mansplain'

By Cait Munro ·
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Photo: Getty Images

Language geeks rejoice! Merriam-Webster just announced the addition of new words—850 of them, to be exact. To be honest, we weren't aware that there were 850 words culturally relevant enough to be added to the dictionary that weren't, you know, already in there. But we also would have guessed that some of this round's additions, like "kombucha" and "tzatziki," would have been included long ago. Meanwhile, others, like the ones below, seem so distinctly now that it kind of hurts to look at them. Behold: the most 2018 words to be added to the dictionary in 2018. 

Mansplain
Sure, it was coined just a decade ago, but we're honestly shocked it took "mansplain" ten years to make it into the dictionary, considering how many dudes are guilty of doing it every. Single. Day. 

Narcissistic personality disorder
Gee, we wonder why so many people might be looking this one up?

Cryptocurrency
You can barely say "excuse me" to a stranger on the subway these says days without hearing this word, so its no surprise it's getting the dictionary treatment. 

Self-care
Ditto above. But maybe the good folks at Merriam-Webster can help shed some light on why "self-care" has come to mean everything from "going to the shrink" to "getting wasted on tequila on a Wednesday and eating a whole Dominos pizza by yourself."

Antifa
Remember when this word came into our collective consciousness after the Charlottesville riot last summer? That was, uh, how many national disasters ago?

Life hack
So does the addition of this phrase to the dictionary mean it's not going to go away any time soon? Because that's unfortunate. 

Hate-watch
This one feels especially fitting after last night's Bachelor finale.

Bandwidth
When your pseudo-chill corporate jargon enters the dictionary, you know it's time to find another way to say "ain't nobody got time for that."

Welp
Welp, indeed. 

Dumpster fire
See also: this year so far. Oh, and 2017 too.

Cait Munro

Cait Munro is a freelance writer, editor, and digital content creator who obsesses about art, fashion, entertainment, and culture both pop and otherwise. Her work has appeared on Vice, New York Magazine, Artnet News, xoJane, BULLETT, and elsewhere.

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