Merriam-Webster Just Added ‘Gender Nonconforming’ to the Dictionary

Language is ever evolving, but we been knew. As time marches on and our world grows ever more complex, so does language. Language is about context, colloquialism, shared experiences, and discovery. Language... is queer. Don't come for me, I was an English major!

Occasionally, the institution of language catches up to the way we actually use words out here in the real world. Just last year, words like mocktail, hangry, kombucha, bingeable, cryptocurrency, welp, and GOAT were added to the dictionary -- arguably the GOAT itself. In June 2018, the term "stan" was even added to the Oxford-English Dictionary -- we have to stan!

This week, Merriam-Webster announced the new words it is adding to its lexicon this year, and in addition to terms like "gig economy" and "bottle episode," ol' Merriam also added some very queer phrases for language lovers to stan.

In their "new words for science and medicine" category, MW added the terms gender nonconforming, top surgery, and bottom surgery. Their release reads:

Gender nonconforming: exhibiting behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits that do not correspond with the traits typically associated with one's sex.

Top surgery: a type of gender confirmation surgery in which a person's breasts are removed or augmented to match their gender identity.

Bottom surgery: a type of gender confirmation surgery in which a person's genitalia are altered to match their gender identity.

And those aren't the only queer-interest terms added to the dictionary this year: Merriam-Webster also finally acknowledged the power of EGOT. "An entry in the dictionary seems like an appropriate award for the acronym that stands for the rare achievement of winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony." Just as we thought, Merriam-Webster is for legends only!

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