Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large, Merriam-Webster
Looking up a word in the dictionary is an intimate act for each of us as individuals, but the words sought by millions of users put together tell us a surprising story about the English language. Some words are perennial sources of curiosity, while others show spikes of interest triggered by news from the worlds of politics, entertainment, and sports. Some words express the general mood of the culture; others reflect a poignant specificity. Learn how lexicographers are using data trends to adjust to the changing business of dictionaries–and respond to what is expected of a dictionary in the 21st century.