Merriam-Webster’s new words include ‘unfriend,’ ‘spoiler alert,’ ‘gamification’

Those three terms—”unfriend,” “catfish,” and “social networking”—are among the 150 new words and phrases that the publisher has officially added to the new edition of its collegiate dictionary. They’re part of a contingent of social media-related terms that have been added. Others include “gamification,” “crowdfunding,” “hashtag,” “selfie,” and “tweep.”

A few other terms are deeply entrenched in the digital age, though they don’t necessarily relate specifically to social networking. “Spoiler alert” is something people often see online, with regard to posts that include important plot points from movies, TV shows, and books. “E-waste” is discarded electronic products. The “digital divide” is about equality of online access.