Articles from 2016

Besides college football, New Year's Eve toasts and a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne at midnight, the other New Year's tradition is the New Year's resolution. Here's a look at the lexical mysteries surrounding some of the holiday's traditions. Continue reading...

Too often during this time of year, we can lose sight of the meaning in what it is we are doing. In the spirit of discovering the new in things we thought we understood, some familiar holiday words are explored. Continue reading...

With the new Star Wars movie Rogue One opening today, it's a fitting moment to look at how the meaning of rogue has evolved over the years, from one who is deceitful and worthless to today's connotation of the charming scoundrel. Continue reading...

It's month two of the 2016 - 2017 Vocabulary Bowl Season, and things are heating up. Newcomers and former champs are giving it their all in the quest for word domination, and the Spotlight features Division III. Continue reading...

When it comes to learning, having multiple ways to access material can be a huge boost to understanding and retention. That's why we're so enthused about our new feature release: spoken audio. Now anyone can hear Vocabulary.com as they play and learn. Continue reading...

Etiwanda's Eagles soared past some fierce competitors to master over 50,000 words and claim their perch atop the November Vocabulary Bowl leaderboard. This is the second victory in three months for these Bowl rookies from California. Continue reading...

Thanks to numerous anecdotes about the old and new ways of the lexicography, I quite enjoyed The Word Detective: Searching for the Meaning of it All at the Oxford English Dictionary, the memoir of John Simpson, former Chief Editor. Simpson was a participant and prime mover in the huge changes to the OED, which saw the dictionary finally being produced, "from the computer database, not from copper plates." Because of the unique insights into the most important and impressive dictionary in English, this is a book any word lover should enjoy. Continue reading...