Newest Words Added to the Dictionary in 2018

Every year, dictionaries add hundreds of new words to reflect how English actually changes in use. 2018 was an unusually rich year — driven by tech, identity politics, and the internet's appetite for clever shorthand.

Identity and culture

• Mansplain — to explain something to a woman in a condescending way
• Tweetstorm — a rapid sequence of tweets
• Self-care — formally entered the dictionary (long after entering daily speech)
• Glamping — glamorous camping
• Hangry — bad-tempered from hunger

Tech and internet

• Biohacking — DIY biology and self-experimentation
• Cryptojacking — unauthorized use of a device to mine cryptocurrency
• Deep state — entered popular political vocabulary
• Catfishing — deceptive online identities
• Wordie — a person who loves words

Food and lifestyle

• Adulting — performing the routine tasks of adult life
• Avocado toast — yes, really
• Bingeable — suitable for watching in long stretches
• Mocktail — non-alcoholic cocktail

What dictionary additions tell us

New entries are not new words — they have already been in widespread use for years before a dictionary formalizes them. Dictionaries are descriptive (they describe how language is used), not prescriptive (telling us how it should be used).

How many words are in English now?

The Oxford English Dictionary lists over 273,000 main entries. Total English vocabulary (including technical and obsolete terms) is estimated at over 1,000,000 words.

Track your own vocabulary

Curious how diverse your own vocabulary is? Paste a piece of your writing into the Free Word Counter — it shows total words and unique words, plus the frequency of your most-used terms.