'Fake news’ and 'false flag' are being added to Dictionary.com, because 2017
It wouldn't be 2017 without someone (usually the president) yelling "fake news." So Dictionary.com is adding the term and others like it to its online list. Meanwhile, words like "alt-right" are getting expanded definitions.
Instead of light-hearted and fun, these added words demonstrate how messed-up our political system has become in the Trump era. It's no "woke" or YOLO situation, that's for sure.
The dictionary site announced Thursday that along with "fake news," "false flag" and "kompromat" will also join the online definitions soon.
"Kompromat": Yes, that's a Russian word meaning "incriminating material that is sometimes forged or fabricated, used to sabotage or discredit a political opponent or public figure and ultimately destabilize society by causing extreme doubt and cynicism." Sounds about right, with all the Russian meddling in the election.
Another depressing expansion is "white nationalist," since the views of this hate group are still relevant in today's culture. Just great.
Merriam-Webster announced "alt-right," "dog whistle," and "troll" in its dictionary last week.
So, that's where we're at these days.
Topics Politics
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
