How Does A Word Get Into The Dictionary?

Have you ever wondered how a word gets into the dictionary?

Does one person decide or does it have to go through a number of people before being granted permission to be published?

In this article, we will be looking at how a word gets into the dictionary.

To put it simply a word gets into the dictionary when it becomes a popularly used word.

New words, such as slang and abbreviations are added to the dictionary once they start to appear across a substantial amount of sources and are regularly spoken.

Once a word is commonly used and there is an understanding of a common meaning it can be considered to be added to the dictionary.

The process is not instant though and can take years to appear in the dictionary.

A lexicographer will monitor the usage of a new word, across printed material, online, and spoken word.

Firstly they collect information about where the word was written, printed, or heard alongside a contextual meaning.

From this, a database of research is created and researchers actively seek the use of the word across different backgrounds.