Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary 12th Edition

The unsung hero of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary 12th Edition is not the word list, but the system. Merriam-Webster uses a unique set of labels to tell you how to use a word.

The 12th edition refines these labels:

For example, look up literally. The 12th edition includes the controversial secondary definition: "in effect : virtually —used in an exaggerated way to emphasize a statement or description that is not literally true or possible." This drove purists crazy, but it represents actual usage. merriam webster collegiate dictionary 12th edition

For the first time, you can find words like bingeable, side-eye (noun and verb), dumpster fire (figurative use), and adorbs formally defined in a collegiate dictionary. The unsung hero of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary

The 12th edition is fully synced with Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, which continues to add new words quarterly. Purchasers of the print edition often receive access to a free one-year subscription to the ad-free Merriam-Webster Collegiate website and mobile app (check current packaging). The digital version includes audio pronunciations, word games, and the thesaurus. For example, look up literally