Merriam-Webster recently changed its definition of “anti-vaxxer” to include people who oppose laws that mandate vaccination.
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No, Merriam-Webster didn’t change the definition of ‘anti-vaxxer’
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- Peter Sokolowski, editor at large of Merriam-Webster.com, said that the entry for "anti-vaxxer" was first added to the online dictionary in February 2018 and hasn’t been revised or changed since. It has always defined it as "a person who opposes vaccination or laws that mandate vaccination."
- Archived web pages show that the definition has been consistent since 2018.
Merriam-Webster defines the word "anti-vaxxer" as "a person who opposes vaccination or laws that mandate vaccination."
Online, some people are alleging that the dictionary powerhouse recently, sneakily changed the meaning of the word.
The Russia-backed media organization RT wrote on May 12 that Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary was "again redefining language to fit a narrative, this time framing its definition of ‘anti-vaxxer’ to include not only people who oppose vaccination, but also those who are against inoculation mandates."
Young America’s Foundation tweeted that day that Merriam-Webster "updated its definition of ‘anti-vaxxer’ to include anyone who opposed mandatory vaccines."
A screenshot of another tweet being shared on social media claims that "The Merriam-Webster dictionary has changed their definition of ‘anti-vaxxer’ to include ‘people who oppose laws that mandate vaccination.’ Welcome to 1984, this is The Ministry of Truth."
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Peter Sokolowski, editor at large of Merriam-Webster.com, told us that the entry for "anti-vaxxer" was first added to the online dictionary in February 2018 and hasn’t been revised or changed since.
We found evidence to support that.
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An archived page of the "anti-vaxxer" entry from Nov. 25, 2018, shows the same definition as today. That’s also true for archived pages from 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Two years ago, someone cited the definition in response to a Quora question about "the exact definition of an anti-vaxxer," and it’s referenced in a November 2018 HuffPost story about a screenwriter who compared the word "anti-vax" to a racial slur.
The current definition has existed online for more than three years, since it was first added to the dictionary, according to Merriam-Webster.
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Our Sources
Instagram post, May 14, 2021
Merriam-Webster, Anti-vaxxer, visited May 17, 2021
Merriam-Webster, Anti-vaxxer archived page, Nov. 25, 2018
Merriam-Webster, Anti-vaxxer archived page, Oct. 30, 2019
Merriam-Webster, Anti-vaxxer archived pages, visited May 17, 2021
RT, Merriam-Webster online dictionary expands definition of ‘ANTI-VAXXER’ to include those who oppose FORCED JABS, May 12, 2021
Young America’s Foundation tweet, May 12, 2021
Peter Sokolowski retweet, May 14, 2021
Quora, What is the exact definition of an anti-vaxxer? 2019
HuffPost, ‘Shrek’ writer Terry Rossio likens being called ‘anti-vax’ to being called racial slur, Nov. 24, 2018
Email interview with Peter Sokolowski, editor at large, Merriam-Webster.com, May 17, 2021
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No, Merriam-Webster didn’t change the definition of ‘anti-vaxxer’
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