Merriam-Webster Accused Of Bias After ‘Dictionary’ Named Word Of The Year 

Published: December 15, 2025 (TheOnion.com)

SPRINGFIELD, MA—Facing intense backlash and scrutiny from critics who say the reference book publisher had failed to take all words into consideration, Merriam-Webster was accused of bias Monday after officially selecting ‘dictionary’ as its 2025 word of the year. “Merriam-Webster clearly has a pro-dictionary bias that’s preventing it from considering all words equally,” lexicographer Alison Nielsen wrote in a widely shared social media post that lambasted the Merriam-Webster editorial team, claiming its members had allowed a “personal affinity for looking up words” to cloud their judgment. “I was willing to overlook it last year when their word of the year was ‘definition,’ but I can’t allow myself to turn a blind eye to this. The Merriam-Webster editorial board is stuck in its own media bubble. They need to look around and read a thesaurus once in a while.” At press time, reports confirmed Merriam-Webster appeared to have doubled down by changing the 2025 word of the year to “dictionaries.”

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