Dictionary Adds 'Cromulent,' Outraging Purists Who Insist It Embiggens Nothing

The Meridian English Dictionary's decision to include the word 'cromulent' in its 2026 edition has ignited a firestorm among lexicographers, with purists denouncing the addition as 'the death of etymological rigor' and progressives celebrating it as 'a perfectly cromulent decision.' 'Cromulent has been in widespread use for nearly thirty years,' said editor-in-chief Dr. Sylvia Lexis at a press conference. 'It appears in academic papers, legal briefs, and over 4 million social media posts. At some point, a word stops being a joke and starts being a word. That point was approximately 2014.' The opposition, led by retired lexicographer Dr. Harold Prescriptive, has published an open letter signed by 147 language professionals calling the inclusion 'an abdication of curatorial responsibility.' 'A dictionary is not a democracy,' Dr. Prescriptive wrote. 'Not every utterance deserves canonization. Cromulent was invented for a cartoon. It has no Latin root, no Greek root, no root of any kind. It is a rootless word, and rootless words have no place in a serious reference work.' Defenders pointed out that the dictionary already includes words like 'quiz,' whose origin is unknown, and 'chortle,' which was invented by Lewis Carroll. 'If we can accept a word coined by the author of a nonsense poem about a fictional dragon,' said Dr. Lexis, 'we can accept a word coined by the writers of a television program about a fictional family. The mechanism is the same. Usage creates legitimacy.' The definition, as published, reads: 'cromulent (adj.): acceptable, fine, adequate. Origin: American English, popularized 1996.' The pronunciation guide includes the note: 'rhymes with truculent, which opponents of this entry have been.' Dr. Prescriptive has withdrawn his subscription to the dictionary. The dictionary has noted that 'unsubscribing' is also a relatively recent addition to the English language.