Bailout is Merriam-Webster's Word for 2008

Posted on December 6, 2008

Bailout is Merriam-Webster's word for 2008. Words from the 2008 election like bipartisan, maverick and socialism were also on Merriam-Webster's top ten list for 2008. The word bailout received the most look-ups on Merriam-Webster's online dictionary in the shortest amount of time.

John M. Morse, president and publisher of Merriam-Webster, says in a statement, "Typically our online dictionary lookups are for slightly difficult but still generic nonspecialized vocabulary. But a word in the headlines can grab people's attention to become a most frequently looked-up word. This year's presidential campaign produced voluminous hits for words like 'vet,' 'bipartisan,' 'misogyny,' and the word used to describe both candidates on the Republican ticket, 'maverick.'"

Here's the top ten list from Merriam-Webste OnLine. You can also find the list with definition links here.

  1. bailout
  2. vet
  3. socialism
  4. maverick
  5. bipartisan
  6. trepidation
  7. precipice
  8. rogue
  9. misogyny
  10. turmoil
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