New Words, New World: Keeping Up With Language
Havea you ever heard someone use a word and thought, “What in the world does that mean?”
You’re not alone. The English language is constantly changing. In 2025, Dictionary.com added more than 1,200 new entries, including words connected to artificial intelligence, technology, social media, work and popular culture.
But here’s something interesting: a “new” dictionary word isn’t necessarily a new word. Dictionary editors generally wait until a word is being widely used, has a consistent meaning and appears likely to stick around. In other words, the dictionary is documenting how we communicate—not telling us which words we’re allowed to use.
Consider “superintelligence.” It refers to intelligence that exceeds human intelligence. That’s a word worth knowing when conversations about artificial intelligence increasingly appear in the news, at work and even around the dinner table.
Or take “geolocate,” meaning to determine the location of someone or something using GPS or other technology. You may already use geolocation every time you follow a map on your phone—even if you never used the word.
Then there are words that describe newer social experiences. “Coffee badging,” for example, describes going into the workplace briefly to meet attendance expectations before returning to remote work.
Why should older adults care about these words?
Because understanding new language helps us understand the changing world.
Imagine a grandchild talking about AI, someone discussing a new workplace trend, or a news story using unfamiliar technology terms. Knowing the vocabulary makes it easier to participate in the conversation rather than feeling as if the world is speaking a different language.
And learning new words isn’t about abandoning the language we grew up with. It’s about adding to our vocabulary without losing our history.
After all, we’ve already watched words like “computer,” “internet,” “cellphone” and “email” go from strange new terms to everyday language.
So perhaps the next time you hear a word you’ve never heard before, don’t dismiss it.
Look it up. Learn it. Maybe even use it. For example:
- Looksmaxxing:Taking measures—sometimes extreme—to maximize or enhance one’s physical attractiveness.
- Glow-up:A usually dramatic and positive enhancement to someone’s or something’s physical appearance or overall life.
- Crash out:Losing one’s cool, reacting with extreme agitation, or exploding with sudden anger.
- Trash panda:A playful, informal slang term for a raccoon.