SPRINGFIELD – You’ve read them, you may have used them and now they are in one of the world’s most respected dictionaries.

The editors of Merriam-Webster recently announced they have added more than a 1,000 new words to their on-line dictionary.

From the lexicons of medicine, politics, sports, technology and entertainment, among others, have come words such as “net neutrality,” “binge-watch,” “EpiPen,” “artisanal” and “FLOTUS.”

Of great local significance, the adjective “Seussian” is now in the dictionary.

Peter Sokolowsaki, the company’s editor-in-chief, explained to Reminder Publications the path for a word to become part of the dictionary is “more of a continual process, like a conveyer belt.”

The editors at the company must not only prove that a word exists but that is it used a lot and in many different places, he said.

Before the advent of the on-line dictionary it could take 40 to 60 years for a word to make it into the print edition, he explained.

The on-line dictionary, used by millions of people, has revised the process.

“The science of it is when to put it in,” Sokolowski explained.

Usage alone for a relatively short period of time will not ensure inclusion, he explained. Take the word “Brexit,” for instance may have been in use but as time goes on the editors believe it is “at best a data point in history,” he noted.

Remember “Y2K?” it’s an example of a term that everyone knows for a short period of time, but now is not being used, Sokolowski said.

There are words that have been used in conversation, but are not usually in print, such as “way back,” describing the rear cargo/seating area of a station wagon. Sokolowski recalled how he had heard that word used since 1980 and it’s taken a long time for it to join the ranks of the dictionary.

The researchers at Merriam-Webster trace the origins of words as part of this process and Sokolowski said it’s fascinating to see how words that originate in hip-hop are then used by African-American athletes that are then reported in the press to a wider audience.

Sokolowski said in the past with only the print editions about 50 to 60 new words would be added. The flexibility of the on-line edition allows for more words to be included.

Words have been dropped from the rolls, and Sokolowski used “plantsman,” (someone who works with plants) and “crossbowman” (someone who shoots a crossbow) as two examples of words not commonly used today and therefore gone.

This year’s words that have been added include one that was dropped in 2003 – a rare occurrence for a word that was excluded to have a second chance. “Snollygoster” is a word from politics.

Sokolowski explained the word means “a shrewd, unprincipled person” and was a favorite phrase used by President Harry Truman. It fell into disuse, but has rebounded due to television pundit Bill O’Reilly’s use of it.

Sokolowski said the company tracks the trends of which word is being looked up at any time on its website and noticed how snollygoster would trend during and after O’Reilly’s broadcast.

Sokolowski said the on-line edition allows “the dictionary to be a more culturally relevant tool.”

To see more of the new words, go to https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/new-words-in-the-dictionary-feb-2017