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noun | a reference source containing words alphabetically arranged along with information about their forms, pronunciations, functions, and etymologies

Sep 10, 2020, 5 tweets

Everyone loves to hate verbs made with '-ize,' probably because, morphologically, almost any noun or adj in English can be turned into a verb this way. 'Finalize' was among the most controversial entries in our 1961 Unabridged, but it probably doesn't bother many today. #AskMW

And poor 'utilize' is attacked all the time, but it can create a useful distinction, if used judiciously.

#AskMW

merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…

If you don't like 'incentivize,' cover your eyes now, because there's also the verb 'incent.'

Basically, business jargon nearly always annoys somebody.

#AskMW

merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…

Keep in mind:

English changes just fast enough that we notice.

And we nearly always hate the changes that we notice.

#AskMW

#AskMW Finally, English is as English does. Languages certainly do follow rules, but they don't follow orders.

Even though you might emphasize
That words shouldn’t end with an –ize
your strict discontent
will fail to prevent
such jargon as 'incentivize'

merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/…

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