Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 10, 2026 is: loath • \LOHTH\ • adjective A person who is loath to do something is unwilling or reluctant to do that thing. // Proud of the company he had built, Henry was loath to admit that it was time to think about retiring.See the entry > Examples: “On these runs, I was loath to stop. I dreaded zebra crossings and the city-center pavements,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 9, 2026 is: stigma • \STIG-muh\ • noun Stigma refers to a set of negative and often unfair beliefs that a society or group of people have about something.// The organization is animated by a commitment to challenging stigmas associated with the condition.See the entry > Examples: “The stigma surrounding workers of my generation is real—some...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 8, 2026 is: magnanimous • \mag-NAN-uh-mus\ • adjective Magnanimous is a formal word that means “having or showing a generous and kind nature.”// She was too magnanimous to resent the unkind words of those grousing about her winning the spelling bee. See the entry > Examples: “Think before you act or speak. Drive and walk carefully. Be magnanimous...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 7, 2026 is: gist • \JIST\ • noun Gist, which almost always appears in the phrase “the gist,” refers to the general or basic meaning of something written or said.// I found the author’s grandiloquent style of writing intolerable, but I got the gist of the story. See the entry > Examples: “His daughter dismissed the film they were watching early...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 6, 2026 is: inexorable • \i-NEK-suh-ruh-bul\ • adjective Inexorable is a formal word used to describe something that cannot be stopped or changed.// For some, the changing autumn foliage is a beautiful yet bittersweet reminder of the inexorable march of time. See the entry > Examples: “At the summer solstice, the Sun ‘stands still’—the meaning of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 5, 2026 is: matriculate • \muh-TRIK-yuh-layt\ • verb To matriculate is to enroll or be enrolled as a student, especially at a college or university.// She matriculated at the Rhode Island School of Design and began classes in the fall.// A spokesperson for the college said the school is expected to matriculate approximately 1,000 students for the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 4, 2026 is: apiary • \AY-pee-air-ee\ • noun Apiary refers to a place where bees are kept, and especially a collection of hives or colonies of bees kept for their honey. // One of the best parts of having a beekeeper for a sister-in-law is getting fresh jars of local honey from the family apiary. See the entry > Examples: “The 70-year-old retiree...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 3, 2026 is: recalcitrant • \rih-KAL-suh-trunt\ • adjective Recalcitrant is a formal word typically used to describe someone who stubbornly refuses to obey rules or orders. Recalcitrant can also describe something that is difficult to manage or operate. // The magazine, aimed at parents and caregivers of young children, will include the latest in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2026 is: dissonant • \DISS-uh-nunt\ • adjective Dissonant typically describes music that is not in harmony, or sounds and notes that clash. In non-music contexts, dissonant describes things that clash by not being in agreement or by not fitting well together.// The guitarist struck a dissonant chord.// The retrospective provided a sometimes...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 1, 2026 is: conscientious • \kahn-shee-EN-shus\ • adjective Conscientious describes someone who is concerned with doing things correctly. It can be used as a synonym for both meticulous and careful. // She has always been a conscientious worker committed to painstaking research. See the entry > Examples: “Earth-friendly, conscientious gardeners...