How Are Words Removed From a Dictionary?



The first English dictionary was published in 1604 and contained some 3,000 words. By 1747, the list had grown to 43,500 words. Today there are various levels of dictionaries, with general-purpose dictionaries being the most common. The Oxford Dictionary has 273,000 words as of 2024, with new words being added and removed periodically. Most people are familiar with the process of adding new words, but many don’t realize that words are actually removed from the dictionary. So, who makes the decision to remove a word from the dictionary? The culling of dictionary words is left to lexicographers, who not only decide which words to remove, but also which new words to add and which words need updating. Whether it's the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, American Heritage Dictionary — or an exclusively digital version such as Dictionary.com — each type of dictionary has its own process for removing words and this information isn't always publicly available. While some dictionaries don't share the decision-making process for word removal, the American Heritage Dictionary removes words created before the year 1755 that are only sporadically used in modern life. It’s actually quite difficult for a word to lose its place in a dictionary. When a word comes into question, dictionary editors embark on a rigorous examination of meaning, usage and popularity across sprawling language databases that cover a variety of mediums. When lexicographers remove a word from the dictionary, it doesn't mean that word ceases to exist. It also means that we, collectively, have the power to influence which words stay. So, if you'd like to return "skedaddle" to popular usage, then you'd better get to it — fast.