The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary in the U.S. has added approximately 1,400 entries and definitions, covering internet culture, technology, and lifestyle. Notable mentions include vibe coding, yacht rock, quasi-social relationships, and the Mandela effect, with the official statement describing this as a "refresh" of the dictionary. President Gregory Barlow stated that no old words were removed, as social networks continue to produce new language.

The technology section includes compute as a noun, referring to the computational power and memory required to run systems; AGI defined as artificial general intelligence; vibe coding defined as generating code using AI systems; and the uncanny valley referring to artificial entities that are almost human but cause discomfort. The cryptocurrency section includes meme coin, defined as tokens that pay homage to memes or celebrities, usually lacking practical utility.

The social and emotional section includes looksmaxxing (taking sometimes extreme measures to enhance appearance), parasocial (one-sided emotional connections to celebrities or fictional characters), Rickroll, promposal, digital letterboxing, cuffing season, Sunday scaries, crashout, and copium. The food section includes superfood, cake pop, lion's mane, bao, and spicy crispy oil. Other entries include trash panda (nickname for raccoon), California sober, whack-a-mole dilemma, and yacht rock.

The criteria for inclusion are long-term, widespread, and meaningful usage, not just one-time trending searches. Many words will enter future print editions. Rickroll, traceable to the 2000s, is still included, indicating the dictionary values permanence over novelty. Meme coin is noted as a potentially more dangerous entry for some investors, placed alongside the definition of lacking utility.

In market mechanisms, this represents the language authority making subcultural vocabulary a publicly citable product: what is bought are terms that can be used in contracts, news, and classrooms without quotation marks, while what is sold are jargon that circulates only within specific circles. Beneficiaries include tech and crypto companies that have incorporated these terms into product names; those under pressure include issuers who still treat meme coins as jokes but must face the dictionary's "lack of practical utility" label. Inclusion does not create market value but can solidify negative or neutral definitions.

Additionally, the company has not released a complete list of the 1,400 entries. The Mandela effect is used to mock the illusion that "the dictionary should have included raccoon nicknames long ago."

Source: Public Information