The days of encyclopedias may have been ended by Google and other search engines, but dictionaries are standing the test of time. This interesting information came to us from the NBC affiliate in Washington in their article, “How Merriam-Webster Dictionary Remains an Arbiter of Truth in Trump Presidency.”

A dictionary is a reference book listing alphabetically terms or names and their definitions. However, our newly elected president may consider it a new antagonist. Using the president’s favorite soap box, Merriam-Webster is tweeting corrections to his spelling, clarifying “alternative facts”, and setting trends along the way.

The one-hundred-and-sixty-some-year-old classroom fixture and reference guide has found a new purpose. Lauren Naturale, the dictionary’s Content and Social Media Manager said that the “response was overwhelmingly positive” to the tweets, adding they are “among the most viral tweets we’ve ever had.”

Melody K. Smith

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