Microtransactions Are Everywhere, Including The Dictionary

As it does each year, Merriam-Webster has announced new additions to its catalog of words, and there are quite a few gaming-focused entries this year. Many industry-watchers have commented on the rise of microtransactions in the video game space, and now that word is in the dictionary, too.

Some of the video game-themed words added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary this year include "boss," "cutscene," "jump scare," "nerf," "non-player character," "microtransaction," "open world," "platform game," "power-up," "rage quit," and "speedrun."

In total, Merriam-Webster added 690 words this year. Beyond the gaming-focused words, new entries for 2023 include "rizz," "doggo," "GOATED," "bussin," "cromulent," "edgelord," "doomscroll," "bracketology," "meme stock," "beast mode," and "girl boss."

These words are all now acceptable in a friendly game of Scrabble, though you may already have your own house rules for what's allowed or not.

"We're very excited by this new batch of words," Merriam-Webster's Peter Sokolowski said. "We hope there is as much insight and satisfaction in reading them as we got from defining them."

In 2022, PlayStation published its own gamer dictionary, featuring the words and phrases "git gud," "noob-tube," "camping," "frame rate," and more.