Typically, one imagines the kind of smart individuals that work at a dictionary publisher wouldn’t get involved in mobile flame wars, but then this is 2017, the year the world will probably end in a flurry of mushroom clouds.
Earlier today, Merriam-Webster tweeted the newest addition to the dictionary, “sheeple.” The word, an informal slight, is defined by the dictionary as a group of people “who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced.”
Wake up!
'Sheeple' is in the dictionary now. https://t.co/pbXVADEoBm
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) April 27, 2017
To illustrate sheeple’s modern usage, Merriam-Webster called on a sentence written by CNN technology columnist Doug Criss. Dated to 2015, the sentence reads, “Apple’s debuted a battery case for the juice-sucking iPhone—an ungainly lumpy case the sheeple will happily shell out $99 for.”
For what it’s worth, sheeple isn’t too common in modern usage. Still, times are tough when tweed-wearing English professors have it out for you.
[source]Merriam-Webster[/source][via]MacRumors[/via]
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.