300 new words were just added to the dictionary. Here are the ones you need to know

• New words related to social justice have been added to Dictionary.com.
• The technology sector saw several new additions.
• Additional slang words such as “yeet” are now included.

Dictionary.com recently announced an addition of more than 300 new words to the dictionary. Many of the updated words focus on the COVID pandemic, equality, and social justice. 

When asked about the new additions, John Kelly, the managing editor of Dictionary.com, stated, “Long COVID, minoritize, 5G, content warning, domestic terrorism — it’s a complicated and challenging society we live in, and language changes to help us grapple with it.”

Here are the Top 10 new words you should know

1. DEI

DEI is an initialism added to the Dictionary, which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Due to the social changes our world is experiencing, DEI promotes fair treatment of all people, especially related to diversity in the workplace.

2. JEDI

No, not a Star Wars superhero; instead, JEDI is another initialism added to the Dictionary that stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. An expansion related to DEI, JEDI is an initialism that will be around for years to come.

3. Aunt Jemima

Previously known as a syrup brand, Aunt Jemima has been documented on Dictionary.com to show the move away from potentially racist stereotypes used in marketing. According to the new definition, Aunt Jemima is “Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. A Black woman considered by other black people to be subservient to or to curry favor with white people.”

4. Minoritize

Minoritize was recently added to describe the racial disparity between a group of people. It refers to making a group of people subordinate in status to a more dominant group of people. Trending along with racial disparity, minoritize will be a word that continues to be used.

5. Hypodescent

A social theory known as hypodescent identifies how past practices have affected the present time.

The new definition is, “The classifying or identifying of a biracial or multiracial individual as a member of the lower or lowest socially ranking racial group from which that person has ancestry.”

6. Cultural appropriation

While previously listed on Dictionary.com, the prior definition expanded to a more mainstream cultural element definition focused on minority and subculture groups.

7. 5G

You may have heard about the latest wireless technology known as 5G, and it has made its way into the Dictionary.

5G is also now listed as “fifth-generation” in the dictionary to describe the latest and faster data-transfer speeds on mobile devices.

8. Deplatforming

With the fight against misinformation and fake news, social media platforms took action against several people over the past year and blocked their social media access.

To account for this type of action, Dictionary.com listed deplatform as “to prohibit a person or people from sharing their views in a public forum, especially by banning a user from posting on a social media website or application.”

9. Long COVID

For those who have lingering side effects from COVID, a new word has been introduced and memorialized. Long COVID, long hauler, and long haul have been combined to describe the long-term impact of COVID.

10. Silver fox

Last but not least, the word silver fox has an added definition referring to a handsome grey-haired senior. The description now sits alongside the previously listed mammal known as the red fox going through a color phase.

New words to add to your 2021 vocabulary

• a**hat: slang
  •  A foolish, annoying, or contemptible person
• Asynchronous
  • A computer operation that occurs independently without waiting for another event
• Black Code
  • Any code of law that limited the rights of formerly enslaved African Americans in the period immediately following the Civil War
• Blamestorm
  • The process of blaming others for a negative outcome
• Boondoggle
  • Wasteful or worthless project for corporate, personal, or political gain typically funded by taxpayers
• Content warning
  • A warning that the content following may upset or offend some people
• Domestic terrorism
  • Unlawful use of violence or threats against a civilian population or government by those operating within the same country rather than a foreign entity
• Ghost gun
  • A gun that doesn’t have a serial number and can’t be easily traced
• Ghost kitchen
  • A commercial kitchen that prepares food to be delivered directly to customers or other dine-i restaurants
• Ingenue
  • Typically a young, innocent, and appealing character in a movie, play, etc.
• Lemming
  • A person who follows others that is dangerous, stupid, or destructive
• Misper
  • British, Police Slang. A missing person
• One-drop rule
  • Social classification in the 20th century that identifies biracial or multiracial individuals as Black
• Oof
  • An exclamation used to sympathize with someone’s pain or dismay
• Sh*tshow
  • A total mess, failure, or disaster
• Side hustle
  • An extra job that brings in extra money outside of a person’s regular income
• Scrappy
  • Having a spirit of determination
• Snack
  • Slang. A sexy and physically attractive person
• Synchronous
  • Relating to a computer operation that must complete before another can begin
• Theater
  • A public display that gives a false impression of an accomplishment, merely for the sake of appearances
• TW
  • Abbreviation; trigger warning. A warning that the following content may cause distressing psychological or physiological reactions in people
• Trap house
  • Slang. A place where illegal drugs are bought, sold or used
• Y’all, you-all, youse
  • You
• Yeet
  • An exclamation of Enthusiasm, approval, triumph, etc.
• Zaddy
  • An attractive man who is stylish, charming, and self-confident