It was bound to happen sometime, but the timing can't be more perfect. With Pokemon Go almost on everyone's lips and phones, I think it's earned its place in the dictionary.
Sure, it's not the Merriam Webster dictionary, but everyone at some point must've had to Google an online dictionary and got redirected to Dictionary.com. And if you're a fan of the Pokemon franchise, you'll be happy to know that it's one of the hundreds of new words to officially have a page devoted to their definitions.
According to Time, the online reference has added the new words with the aid of data of online users that look up the new words. Dictionary.com CEO Liz McMillan revealed that this is just part of the process, as it also undergoes an element of human discretion.
"We get over 5.5 billion word lookups every year, and we analyze those lookups to identify new words that we haven't seen before. And when we see a critical mass of volume against a particular word, our lexicography team will start researching." There is still an element of editorial discretion, she notes, describing the process as "algorithm first and human second."
Pokemon is joining Dictionary.com with other words like butthurt, intersectionality (now with a new definition), click fraud, and athleisure.
If you're wondering what the meaning of the word is, there are two main definitions. One is that of the franchise, which encompasses the anime, video games, card games, TV series and movies. The other is, of course, the pet monster that you catch in the games.
Read: Pokemon Go is predicted to push up one major company's stocks.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Fandoms