Based on online lookups at the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the #1 Word of the Year for 2005 was:
Whether they were looking up “integrity” in order to determine if they wanted some or not, or whether they were looking up the word “integrity” in hopes of using it to define their own (or someone else’s) character… isn’t it refreshing to know that so many people were seeking Integrity in some form?!
Rounding out the Top Ten List for 2005:
2. refugee
3. contempt
4. filibuster
5. insipid
6. tsunami
7. pandemic
8. conclave
9. levee
10. inept
Source: Merriam-Webster Online
Hmmmmm… that says a lot too!
Check out the Words of the Year from previous years. It certainly says a lot about what was going on in the world at the time!
Other Popular Words Of The Year
Turns out, Merriam-Webster is not the only dictionary on the block to choose a Word of the Year!
Editors at the New Oxford American Dictionary selected “Podcast” as their 2005 Word of the Year. (If you want more info about postcasting, check this out. And here too.)
And on a related note, here are the 2006 Banished Words of the Year. Which means, they were so overused in 2005, that people have written in to the editors at Lake Superior State University, in effect nominating these words for banishment from the English language.
If you like this, then you’ll love…
- A running list of all the Banished Words lists from 1976 to the present, plus an archive of all those “Facts About The Class of 20XX” lists that make their way through the e-mail letter chain each year (…the perspective of today’s college freshmen… the mindset of today’s college freshmen), and other Words of the Year.
I like to help people find unique ways to do things in order to save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” ideas that most wouldn’t think of. As a lifelong dog owner, I often share my best tips for living with and training dogs. I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I’m truly passionate about. I’ve worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. You can always find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
