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Definition of presentation noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

presentation

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• 3 [ countable ] a meeting at which something, especially a new product or idea, or piece of work, is shown to a group of people The sales manager will give a presentation on the new products.
• 4 [ countable ] the series of computer slides (= images) that accompany the talk when someone gives a presentation at a meeting I put my presentation on a memory stick.
• 5 [ countable ] a ceremony or formal occasion during which a gift or prize is given
• 6 [ countable ] a performance of a play, etc. in a theater
• 7 [ countable , uncountable ] ( medical ) the position in which a baby is lying in the mother's body just before birth

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• presentation

pres·en·ta·tion

Pres•en•ta•tion, pre·sen·ta·tion.

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• presentation

: an activity in which someone shows, describes, or explains something to a group of people

: the way in which something is arranged, designed, etc. : the way in which something is presented

: the act of giving something to someone in a formal way or in a ceremony

Full Definition of PRESENTATION

First known use of presentation, related to presentation, other business terms, rhymes with presentation, definition of presentation for kids, medical definition of presentation, learn more about presentation.

• presentation copy
• presentation piece
• presentation time
• breech presentation
• face presentation

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• PRESENTATION SKILLS

What is a Presentation?

Search SkillsYouNeed:

Presentation Skills:

• A - Z List of Presentation Skills
• Top Tips for Effective Presentations
• General Presentation Skills
• Preparing for a Presentation
• Organising the Material
• Writing Your Presentation
• Deciding the Presentation Method
• Managing your Presentation Notes
• Working with Visual Aids
• Presenting Data
• Managing the Event
• Coping with Presentation Nerves
• Dealing with Questions
• How to Build Presentations Like a Consultant
• 7 Qualities of Good Speakers That Can Help You Be More Successful
• Self-Presentation in Presentations
• Specific Presentation Events
• Remote Meetings and Presentations
• Giving a Speech
• Presentations in Interviews
• Presenting to Large Groups and Conferences
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• Attending Public Consultation Meetings
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The formal presentation of information is divided into two broad categories: Presentation Skills and Personal Presentation .

These two aspects are interwoven and can be described as the preparation, presentation and practice of verbal and non-verbal communication. 

This article describes what a presentation is and defines some of the key terms associated with presentation skills.

Many people feel terrified when asked to make their first public talk.  Some of these initial fears can be reduced by good preparation that also lays the groundwork for making an effective presentation.

A Presentation Is...

A presentation is a means of communication that can be adapted to various speaking situations, such as talking to a group, addressing a meeting or briefing a team.

A presentation can also be used as a broad term that encompasses other ‘speaking engagements’ such as making a speech at a wedding, or getting a point across in a video conference.

To be effective, step-by-step preparation and the method and means of presenting the information should be carefully considered. 

A presentation requires you to get a message across to the listeners and will often contain a ' persuasive ' element. It may, for example, be a talk about the positive work of your organisation, what you could offer an employer, or why you should receive additional funding for a project.

The Key Elements of a Presentation

Making a presentation is a way of communicating your thoughts and ideas to an audience and many of our articles on communication are also relevant here, see: What is Communication? for more.

Consider the following key components of a presentation:

Ask yourself the following questions to develop a full understanding of the context of the presentation.

When and where will you deliver your presentation?

There is a world of difference between a small room with natural light and an informal setting, and a huge lecture room, lit with stage lights. The two require quite different presentations, and different techniques.

Will it be in a setting you are familiar with, or somewhere new?

If somewhere new, it would be worth trying to visit it in advance, or at least arriving early, to familiarise yourself with the room.

Will the presentation be within a formal or less formal setting?

A work setting will, more or less by definition, be more formal, but there are also various degrees of formality within that.

Will the presentation be to a small group or a large crowd?

Are you already familiar with the audience?

With a new audience, you will have to build rapport quickly and effectively, to get them on your side.

What equipment and technology will be available to you, and what will you be expected to use?

In particular, you will need to ask about microphones and whether you will be expected to stand in one place, or move around.

What is the audience expecting to learn from you and your presentation?

Check how you will be ‘billed’ to give you clues as to what information needs to be included in your presentation.

All these aspects will change the presentation. For more on this, see our page on Deciding the Presentation Method .

The role of the presenter is to communicate with the audience and control the presentation.

Remember, though, that this may also include handing over the control to your audience, especially if you want some kind of interaction.

You may wish to have a look at our page on Facilitation Skills for more.

The audience receives the presenter’s message(s).

However, this reception will be filtered through and affected by such things as the listener’s own experience, knowledge and personal sense of values.

See our page: Barriers to Effective Communication to learn why communication can fail.

The message or messages are delivered by the presenter to the audience.

The message is delivered not just by the spoken word ( verbal communication ) but can be augmented by techniques such as voice projection, body language, gestures, eye contact ( non-verbal communication ), and visual aids.

The message will also be affected by the audience’s expectations. For example, if you have been billed as speaking on one particular topic, and you choose to speak on another, the audience is unlikely to take your message on board even if you present very well . They will judge your presentation a failure, because you have not met their expectations.

The audience’s reaction and therefore the success of the presentation will largely depend upon whether you, as presenter, effectively communicated your message, and whether it met their expectations.

As a presenter, you don’t control the audience’s expectations. What you can do is find out what they have been told about you by the conference organisers, and what they are expecting to hear. Only if you know that can you be confident of delivering something that will meet expectations.

See our page: Effective Speaking for more information.

How will the presentation be delivered?

Presentations are usually delivered direct to an audience.  However, there may be occasions where they are delivered from a distance over the Internet using video conferencing systems, such as Skype.

It is also important to remember that if your talk is recorded and posted on the internet, then people may be able to access it for several years. This will mean that your contemporaneous references should be kept to a minimum.

Impediments

Many factors can influence the effectiveness of how your message is communicated to the audience.

For example background noise or other distractions, an overly warm or cool room, or the time of day and state of audience alertness can all influence your audience’s level of concentration.

As presenter, you have to be prepared to cope with any such problems and try to keep your audience focussed on your message.   

Our page: Barriers to Communication explains these factors in more depth.

Continue to read through our Presentation Skills articles for an overview of how to prepare and structure a presentation, and how to manage notes and/or illustrations at any speaking event.

Continue to: Preparing for a Presentation Deciding the Presentation Method

See also: Writing Your Presentation | Working with Visual Aids Coping with Presentation Nerves | Dealing with Questions Learn Better Presentation Skills with TED Talks

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Synonyms and antonyms of presentation in English

Presentation, synonyms and examples, see words related to presentation, presentation | american thesaurus.

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a name someone uses instead of their real name, especially on a written work

Hidden in plain sight: words and phrases connected with hiding

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• presentation

noun as in performance; something given, displayed

Strongest matches

appearance , delivery , demonstration , display , introduction , offering , production , proposal , reception , show , submission

Strong matches

act , arrangement , award , bestowal , conferral , debut , donation , exhibition , exposition , giving , investiture , knockdown , launch , launching , overture , pitch , present , proposition , remembrance , rendition , representation , spiel , staging

Weak matches

coming out , delivering , dog and pony show , sales pitch

Discover More

Example sentences.

Look no further than those execs who have sat through online presentations outlining a more inclusive workplace only to have to go back to working in teams where they’re made to feel different.

The day of the presentation comes, and the ecommerce team gathers around, continuously nodding along with each slide.

In the questions-and-answer presentation on Wednesday, Palantir did not address the issue of voting power.

For repurposing, you can use four different formats, which are – video series, infographics, podcasts, and presentations.

This presentation will explain the ins and outs of the process as well as the need for older children who are looking for a home as well.

We were scoring it like the Olympics: presentation, technique.

Bogucki includes the leaflet in a Powerpoint presentation he has developed.

Her biggest surprise, she said, was realizing how much presentation and technical points mattered.

That may be partially because The Big Lebowski is their most nihilistic presentation.

One of the hottest tickets at the 2014 edition of Comic-Con, the annual nerd mecca in San Diego, was the Marvel presentation.

You were obliging enough to ask me to accept a presentation copy of your verses.

Nor was ever a better presentation made of the essential program of socialism.

After the presentation of the Great Southern case our Bill was heard and all the opposition.

The presentation of the Railway case and the rebutting evidence did not begin till all the public witnesses had been heard.

Furthermore, a note is payable on demand when it is thus stated, or is payable at sight or on presentation.

Related Words

Words related to presentation are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word presentation . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in outward aspect, characteristic

• countenance

noun as in coming into sight

• actualization
• introduction
• manifestation
• materialization
• representation

noun as in prize or reward

• adjudication
• distinction
• feather in cap
• scholarship

noun as in start of an event or action

• commencement
• inauguration
• installation
• origination
• point of departure
• starting point

Viewing 5 / 63 related words

On this page you'll find 100 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to presentation, such as: appearance, delivery, demonstration, display, introduction, and offering.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Presentation

• Written By Gregg Rosenzweig
• Updated: November 8, 2023

We’re here to help you choose the most appropriate content types to fulfill your content strategy. In this series, we’re breaking down the most popular content types to their most basic fundamentals — simple definitions, clarity on formats, and plenty of examples — so you can start with a solid foundation.

What is a Presentation?

A communication device that relays a topic to an audience in the form of a slide show, demonstration, lecture, or speech, where words and pictures complement each other.

Why should you think of presentations as content?

The beauty of content creation is that almost anything can become a compelling piece of content . Just depends on the creativity used to convert it and the story that brings it to life.

The long and short of it

Although the length of a presentation in terms of time can depend on the overall approach (Are you talking a lot? Are you referring to the screen in detail or not?), consider the number of informational content slides when tallying the overall presentation length. For instance, don’t include title slides in your tally when conveying length to a content creator.

A general guide to presentation length:

• Short Form (5 content slides)
• Standard Form (10 content slides)
• Long Form (20+ content slides)

Popular use cases for presentations…

Let’s consider TED Talks for a minute: one of the best examples (bar none) of how words, pictures, and a narrative can make people care about something they otherwise might not.

These “talks” pre-date podcasts and blend a compelling use of language and imagery in presentation format to spread ideas in unique ways.

TED Talks have been viewed a billion-plus times worldwide (and counting) and are worth considering when it comes to how you might use video-presentation content to connect with your customers in creative, cool, new ways.

Business types:

Any company that has a pitch deck, executive summary , sales presentation, or any kind of internal document that can be repurposed into external-facing content pieces — without pain.

Presentation Examples – Short Form

Presentation Examples – Standard Form

Presentation Examples – Long Form

Understanding Content Quality in Examples

Our team has rated content type examples in three degrees of quality ( Good, Better, Best ) to help you better gauge resources needed for your content plan. In general, the degrees of content quality correspond to our three content levels ( General, Qualified, Expert ) based on the criteria below. Please consider there are multiple variables that could determine the cost, completion time, or content level for any content piece with a perceived degree of quality.

Impress your clients, co-workers, and leadership team with exceptional content for your next presentation, product demonstration, and more. If you need help getting your message across in a succinct, attention-grabbing, and persuasive way, talk to one of our content specialists today.

Stay in the know.

We will keep you up-to-date with all the content marketing news and resources. You will be a content expert in no time. Sign up for our free newsletter.

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Business Jargons

A Business Encyclopedia

Presentation

Definition : A presentation is a form of communication in which the speaker conveys information to the audience. In an organization presentations are used in various scenarios like talking to a group, addressing a meeting, demonstrating or introducing a new product, or briefing a team. It involves presenting a particular subject or issue or new ideas/thoughts to a group of people.

It is considered as the most effective form of communication because of two main reasons:

• Use of non-verbal cues.
• Facilitates instant feedback.

Business Presentations are a tool to influence people toward an intended thought or action.

Parts of Presentation

• Introduction : It is meant to make the listeners ready to receive the message and draw their interest. For that, the speaker can narrate some story or a humorous piece of joke, an interesting fact, a question, stating a problem, and so forth. They can also use some surprising statistics.
• Body : It is the essence of the presentation. It requires the sequencing of facts in a logical order. This is the part where the speaker explains the topic and relevant information. It has to be critically arranged, as the audience must be able to grasp what the speaker presents.
• Conclusion : It needs to be short and precise. It should sum up or outline the key points that you have presented. It could also contain what the audience should have gained out of the presentation.

Purpose of Presentation

• To inform : Organizations can use presentations to inform the audience about new schemes, products or proposals. The aim is to inform the new entrant about the policies and procedures of the organization.
• To persuade : Presentations are also given to persuade the audience to take the intended action.
• To build goodwill : They can also help in building a good reputation

Factors Affecting Presentation

Audience Analysis

Communication environment, personal appearance, use of visuals, opening and closing presentation, organization of presentation, language and words, voice quality, body language, answering questions, a word from business jargons.

Presentation is a mode of conveying information to a selected group of people live. An ideal presentation is one that identifies and matches the needs, interests and understanding level of the audience. It also represents the facts, and figures in the form of tables, charts, and graphs and uses multiple colours.

Related terms:

• Verbal Communication
• Visual Communication
• Non-Verbal Communication
• Communication
• 7 C’s of Communication

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Definition of 'presentation'

• presentation

presentation in American English

Presentation in british english, examples of 'presentation' in a sentence presentation, related word partners presentation, trends of presentation.

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• brief presentation
• medal presentation
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presentation (n.)

late 14c., presentacioun , "act of presenting, ceremonious giving of a gift, prize, etc.," from Old French presentacion (13c.) and directly from Medieval Latin praesentationem (nominative praesentatio ) "a placing before," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin praesentare "to present, show, exhibit," literally "to place before," from stem of praesens (see present (adj.)).

The meaning "that which is offered or presented" is from mid-15c.; that of "a theatrical or other representation" is recorded from c. 1600. Related: Presentational .

Entries linking to presentation

c. 1300, "being in the same place as someone or something;" early 14c., "existing at the time," from Old French present "evident, at hand, within reach;" as a noun, "the present time" (11c., Modern French présent ) and directly from Latin praesentem (nominative praesens ) "present, at hand, in sight; immediate; prompt, instant; contemporary," from present participle of præesse "be before (someone or something), be at hand," from prae- "before" (see pre- ) + esse "to be" (from PIE root *es- "to be").

Meaning "abiding in a specified place" is from mid-14c. in English. As a grammatical tense expressing action or being in the present time, recorded from late 14c.

"a presenting again, a renewed presentation," 1805, from re- "back, again" + presentation or else a noun formed to go with re-present . With hyphenated spelling and full pronunciation of the prefix to distinguish it from representation .

Trends of presentation

More to explore, share presentation.

updated on October 23, 2020

Dictionary entries near presentation

preselection

presentable

presentation

present-day

presentiment

presentment

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More From Forbes

Nyt ‘strands’ hints, spangram and answers for friday, may 3rd.

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Looking for Thursday’s Strands hints, spangram and answers? You can find them here:

Time for one more installment of Strands before we head into the weekened, and this is a pretty interesting one with a clue and a theme that may end up tripping people up.

How To Play Strands

The New York Times’ Strands puzzle is a play on the classic word search. It’s in beta for now, which means it’ll only stick around if enough people play it every day.

There’s a new game of Strands to play every day. The game will present you with a six by eight grid of letters. The aim is to find a group of words that have something in common, and you’ll get a clue as to what that theme is. When you find a theme word, it will remain highlighted in blue.

You’ll also need to find a special word called a spangram. This tells you what the words have in common. The spangram links two opposite sides of the board. While the theme words will not be a proper name, the spangram can be a proper name. When you find the spangram, it will remain highlighted in yellow.

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What Is Today’s Strands Hint?

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You’ll get it in a minute probably. We’ll see.

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What is Zionism? The movement college protesters oppose, explained.

At protest camps, lists say “No Zionists.” Many Jewish leaders and Jewish students say the word is being used as a synonym for Jews and is antisemitic.

“Zionism” — the word is everywhere at pro-Palestinian protests. Lists of rules in campus encampments say “No Zionists.” Signs compare Zionism to racism or fascism.

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by Nick Norlen, Senior Editor, and Grant Barrett, Director of Lexicography

It’s 2024, and the pace of language change is as rapid as it has ever been. Our lexicographers are updating the dictionary more frequently than ever, doing the human-scale work of documenting words across the vast spectrum of the always-evolving English language. And wow, the variety is real .

This snapshot of our most recent additions showcases the breadth of terms that have emerged to name the nuances of modern life, including:

• Terms surfaced from the major topics of the day, including economics ( greedflation ), climate ( climate breakdown ), and social issues ( intimate partner violence ) 
• Words for things you didn’t know there were words for ( skiplagging ,  bed rotting ,  range anxiety ) 
• Science terms you’ll encounter in the news ( stellar nursery ,  superfog )
• Newly prominent health and wellness words ( VO2 max ,  prebiotic ,  keto flu ). 
• Fashion words, including terms for industry trends ( slow fashion ,  circular fashion ), aesthetics ( Barbiecore ), and names for types of garments ( shacket ,  shortalls ) 
• And so many more words across an all-encompassing range of the English language ( energy poverty ,  sound bath ,  boobne ).

As usual, this update includes words that are new to the dictionary as well as entries that are newly revised (such as newly added senses of existing words like mid and squish ). Keep in mind that words that are new to the dictionary are not always new to the language (or even remotely recent), but their addition often reflects a prominent place in the lexicon.

As always, all of our dictionary work is descriptive—we describe language as it is really used (not just how we or others may wish it would be used).
 Learn more about how new words get added to Dictionary.com—and how the dictionary works.

Of course, some of the terms in the list below have more than one definition. We’ll highlight just the meanings most relevant to this release.

Girl Dinner. Iván Bravo. 2024.

girl dinner  
 noun.  an often attractively presented collection of snacks that involve little preparation, such as small quantities of cold cuts, cheese, fruit, cherry tomatoes, etc., deemed sufficient to constitute a meal for one.

📝 Girl dinner went viral after TikTok user Olivia Maher used the term in a video in May 2023, possibly shortening an earlier version, hot girl dinner , that often included decadent or youth-maintaining food.

mid 
 adjective. mediocre, unimpressive, or disappointing.

bussin’ adjective. great; wonderful; amazing.

📝 Popular among Gen Z, this term originates in African American culture and is likely based on various senses of bust meaning “to explode,” “to do well,” or “to enjoy.”

The Ick. Iván Bravo. 2024.

the ick noun. a sudden feeling of disgust or dislike, often in response to the actions of another person.

📝 This phrase, popular in dating culture and on TikTok, is thought to trace back to the late 1990s TV show Ally McBeal . The ick is also used as an informal term for an illness, especially a cold or flu.

cheat code noun. a ploy or technique that bypasses traditional methods or rules in order to improve oneself or one’s success.

📝 This more recent sense of the term is an extension of its use in the context of video games, in which it refers to a hidden command, code, etc., used to gain an advantage, such as by advancing levels or enhancing a character’s strengths.

There’s a word for that

range anxiety noun.  the apprehension or fear that an electric vehicle’s battery will run out of power before reaching one’s intended destination or a charging station.

enshittification 
 noun.   the gradual degradation of an online platform or service’s functionality, as part of a cycle in which the platform or service first offers benefits to users to attract them, then pursues more and more profits at the expense of users.

📝 Used in the critical discussion of platforms like TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and others, this term was popularized by writer Cory Doctorow.

skiplagging noun. the practice of purchasing an air ticket for a flight with a layover at one’s true destination, getting off at the layover point, and skipping the last leg of the flight: a workaround to avoid paying a higher fare for a direct flight to one’s destination.

📝 The verb form is skiplag , a compound of skip , “to pass over,” and lag , “an instance of staying behind.”

bed rotting noun. the practice of spending many hours in bed during the day, often with snacks or an electronic device, as a voluntary retreat from activity or stress.

📝 Despite the negative connotation of rotting , many use this term in a positive way to refer to what they consider a form of self-care. The verb form is bed rot .

pretty privilege noun. an unearned and mostly unacknowledged societal advantage that a person has by fitting into the beauty standards of their culture.

📝 Pretty privilege uses the same construction as  white privilege  and similar terms.

Stellar Nursery. Iván Bravo. 2024.

stellar nursery 
 noun. Astronomy.  a molecular cloud in which new stars are being formed.

📝 The James Webb Space Telescope has captured some stunning images of these star-forming regions, including the one pictured below, named 30 Doradus and nicknamed the Tarantula Nebula. Located in the neighboring galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud, it is the largest and brightest stellar nursery in the Local Group, a group of galaxies near the Milky Way.

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team

boring billion 
 noun. a period in the earth's development occurring between 1,800 and 800 million years ago that is characterized by relative geological and climatic stability, slow evolutionary development, and low levels of atmospheric oxygen.

geoglyph noun. a large-scale design or pattern on the surface of the land made by arranging stones, rocks, or earth, or by removing ground cover to expose the rock or soil beneath.

📝 Geoglyph is the most well-known of the terms listed here ending in -glyph , which comes from the Greek word for “a carving”;  geo-  means “earth.”

ammoglyph 
 noun. a pattern or design originally created in sand by early humans and now fossilized. 

📝 Coined in 2019 by Canadian geologist Charles William Helm and colleagues based on the Greek ámmo(s) , meaning “sand.”

dendroglyph noun. an image, message, or symbol carved into a tree, especially by Indigenous people and often hundreds of years old, providing cultural and historical information not available from other sources. 

📝 Coined in 1918 by Australian curator Robert Etheridge, Jr., with the combining form  dendro- , meaning “tree." Its use has replaced that of the earlier term arborglyph .

Barbiecore noun. an aesthetic or style featuring playful pink outfits, accessories, decor, etc., celebrating and modeled on the wardrobe of the Barbie doll. 

📝 We’re likely still fully within the  trend of using -core to form names for niche aesthetics , such as  cottagecore  and  normcore .  

sustainable fashion noun. a genre of clothing and other fashion products intended to reduce negative impacts on the environment through the use of ecologically responsible materials and manufacturing, the promotion of longer-lasting style trends, and the popularization of product reuse.

slow fashion noun.  a movement among clothing producers and consumers that emphasizes eco-friendly, well-made clothing, maintenance and repair of garments to extend their lifespan, and a general reduction of one’s consumption of new clothing items. 

📝 This term is used in contrast with  fast fashion . The fast / slow framing is perhaps best known for its use in the distinction between fast food and  slow food , but it will likely continue to be applied in other contexts where there is interest in sustainable practices. 

eco-chic noun. of or relating to a style, design, or product that is attractive and fashionable as well as eco-friendly and sustainable.

shacket noun.  a garment in the style of a button-down shirt, made of a thicker fabric and usually worn over other shirts. 

📝  A combination of shirt and jacket .

shortalls noun.  a pair of shorts with a bib or biblike piece to which shoulder straps are attached. 

📝  A combination of short(s) and overalls .

Entertainment

cozy adjective. relating to a genre of mystery stories with little suspense, explicit violence, or sexual content, often also having amateur sleuths and idyllic, intimate settings. 

📝  In this context, cozy is also sometimes used as a noun to refer to such a story itself, as in I started out reading cozies and moved on to the hard-boiled detective novels .

Bechdel test noun. a test of gender stereotyping and inequality in fiction, having a number of variations and used especially with movies, based on whether the work includes at least two fairly important female characters who talk to each other about something besides a man. 

📝  The first recorded uses of the term Bechdel test come from between 2005 and 2010, but the concept was introduced by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in a 1985 comic strip.

Tommy John surgery noun. an operation to repair a torn ligament on the inner side of the elbow by replacing it with a tendon from elsewhere in the body or from a donor.

📝 Common among baseball players, the surgery gets its name from pitcher Tommy John, on whom the procedure was first performed in 1974. It is formally called ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction .

turf toe noun.  a sprain at the joint between the metatarsus and the phalanx of the big toe, caused when the ligament connecting them under the toe is overextended: typically a sports-related injury, originally associated especially with artificial grass surfaces.

capped  
 adjective. Chiefly British. (of a player) selected as part of a representative team. Example: When she plays her next match for England, she’ll become the most capped player of all time.

📝 Other newly added senses of capped include meanings related to loans, stocks, and landfills.

beer league 
 noun. a community sports league, such as for hockey, softball, or soccer, whose members are amateurs of diverse ages and walks of life and play purely for the fun and socializing involved: games are usually accompanied or followed by alcohol and food

Family & relationships

girl mom  
 noun. a mother of a daughter or daughters, especially one with only a daughter or daughters.

girl dad 
 noun. a father of a daughter or daughters, especially one with only a daughter or daughters.

boy mom noun. a mother of a son or sons, especially one with only a son or sons.

boy dad  
 noun. a father of a son or sons, especially one with only a son or sons. 

📝 These proud terms are used informally to identify as a certain type of parent—you’re likely to encounter these phrases on T-shirts or as hashtags, for example. 

squish  
 noun. an intense feeling of infatuation that is not romantic or sexual in nature; a platonic crush. 

📝 This term is also used in an entirely unrelated way in the context of U.S. politics as a derogatory term for a politician, especially a Republican, who is perceived by members of their own party as overly moderate or willing to compromise.

Health & wellness

sound bath 
 noun.  an instance of sustained listening to the pleasant sounds emanating from a collection of singing bowls, bells, chimes, etc., used to aid in relaxation or meditation and believed to help restore physical and mental wellness. 

VO2 max 
 noun. the maximum volume (V) of oxygen (O 2 ) that a particular person’s body can absorb and use during intense exercise, measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute and often used to assess cardiorespiratory fitness.

high-intensity interval training 
 noun. a type of interval training for physical conditioning and fitness that uses short bursts of very intense exertion, alternating with short periods of rest or lighter exertion, to exploit the body’s systems for generating anaerobic energy.

📝 Commonly abbreviated as HIIT .

Tabata noun. an exercise or fitness program involving repeated alternation between usually 20-second bursts of strenuous exertion and 10-second periods of rest, totaling four minutes for an entire round. 

📝 Named after Japanese professor Izumi Tabata, who created the program.

keto flu noun. a temporary feeling of illness or physical unease often experienced by those starting a  ketogenic diet , characterized by fatigue, headaches, muscle soreness, etc., as the body adapts to using fat instead of carbohydrates for fuel. 

📝 Also called carb flu .

micellar water 
 noun.   a liquid skin cleanser made up of tiny particles, or micelles, of mild soap or detergent dispersed in purified water, usually with the addition of moisturizers, vitamins, etc.

prebiotic 
 noun. a substance containing dietary fiber that stimulates the growth or activity of beneficial bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

Food & drink

bottarga 
 noun. the roe sac of a fish, especially the gray mullet, prepared by salting, pressing, and drying, and served in various ways, including as a grated garnish, on its own with seasoning, or with vegetables.  

📝 Dining out pro tip: Use Dictionary.com as a menu companion for all those unfamiliar dish components.

soju 
 noun.  a colorless, clear, distilled alcoholic beverage from Korea, often made from a mixture of rice and other starches such as sweet potatoes, wheat, barley, tapioca, etc.

📝 The word soju comes from Korean, from a combination of so , “to burn, roast,” and ju , “alcoholic beverage.”

natto  
 noun. Japanese cooking. a dish of fermented cooked soybeans, often eaten for breakfast over white rice or with toppings such as soy sauce and mustard.

Economics & finance

greedflation noun.  a rise in prices, rents, or the like, that is not due to market pressure or any other factor organic to the economy, but is caused by corporate executives or boards of directors, property owners, etc., solely to increase profits that are already healthy or excessive. 

📝 The verb form is  greedflate . Other recently added inflation words include  shrinkflation  and  shadow inflation .

Greedflation. Iván Bravo. 2024.

dry powder noun. cash reserves, liquid assets, or easily liquidated assets such as readily saleable stocks and bonds, held by a corporation or an individual in order to cover current or future obligations, make new purchases, or take advantage of unforeseen opportunities.

bag holder 
 noun. someone who retains an unprofitable investment rather than selling it at a loss, only to suffer an even worse loss when the investment eventually becomes worthless.

Climate, weather, & environment

climate breakdown noun.  the collective effects of harmful and potentially irreversible trends in climate, specifically those resulting from unchecked global warming.

global boiling 
 noun.  a nonscientific term used to emphasize the trend toward and severity of extreme heat events, especially in regard to public health. 

📝 Climate breakdown and global boiling have emerged as terms intended to communicate the severity of the effects of climate change, along with other prominent terms like  climate crisis  and climate emergency .

extreme heat event 
 noun. Meteorology, Climatology. a heat event classified as being excessive enough to pose a serious threat to public health. 

fire whirl 
 noun. a tornadolike phenomenon created when turbulent air rapidly rising from the site of burning, as in a forest fire, sucks flaming gases, embers, and other fiery debris up into a twisting column, sometimes hundreds of feet in height.

fire tornado 
 noun.  a flaming tornado generated by intense wildfire, rarer, much larger, and more destructive than a fire whirl.

superfog 
 noun. a combination of fog generated by weather conditions and wildfire smoke from damp, smoldering brush, leaves, trees, and other organic materials that often reduces visibility to less than 10 feet. 

carbon market 
 noun.  a commodity trading system through which countries and organizations can buy and sell permits to produce a set amount of carbon dioxide emissions and other atmospheric pollutants. 

📝 This term is just one example of how the word carbon has become shorthand for “carbon dioxide emissions.”

Social issues

intimate partner violence 
 noun. acts of violence or abuse within a romantic relationship.

supervised injection site 
 noun.  a medically supervised facility at which people can inject illicit drugs they have brought with them, a practice intended to reduce overdoses, disease transmission, and other health problems associated with illicit drug use.

food insecure adjective. having or characterized by limited or uncertain access to adequate food. 

📝 This is an adjective version of the more established noun form,  food insecurity .

energy poverty   noun. a lack of adequate access to safe, affordable sources of electricity or fuel for warmth, light, cooking, etc.

Proper names

Even more words.

Uluru 
 noun.  a large, isolated mass of red rock in central Australia, in southwestern Northern Territory: a sacred site for the Anangu people indigenous to the region, and a popular tourist attraction. 1,142 feet (348 meters) high.

📝 Also called Ayers Rock .

worlding noun.  the act or process of bringing a people, culture, nation, etc., into a global sphere of influence, especially the sphere thought of as dominated by Western countries. 

📝 The concept of worlding, influenced by literary theorist Gayatri Spivak, has become popular in academic discussions about colonialism.

Scouser 
noun. Informal. a resident or native of Liverpool, England. 

📝 This other nickname for  Liverpudlians  comes from the word  Scouse , a name for the Liverpool dialect. The word Scouse itself comes from a shortening of  lobscouse , a type of sailor’s stew made of meat, vegetables, and  hardtack .

fakeness noun.  artificial, false, or insincere behavior, speech, etc.; pretense. 

📝 More generally, fakeness is also used to mean “the quality or condition of being false, artificial, or insincere.”

kennel cough noun.  a highly contagious but usually mild respiratory infection in dogs, characterized by a dry hacking or gagging cough and caused by a number of bacteria and viruses.

boobne 
 noun. Informal.  pimples or a rash in the area of the breasts or on the upper back, caused by a bra that chafes, is not clean, or is made of material that is allergenic or not breathable. 

📝 Other acne blend words include  bacne  and  maskne .

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Like learning words for things you didn’t know there were words for?

fire science   noun. the study of fire, with specific disciplines that include the composition of fire, acceleration and suppression of fire, prevention of fire, control of wildfires, and fire-related consequences of climate change.

circular fashion noun. a type of sustainable fashion that promotes minimal manufacturing through the ongoing reuse of garments and accessories or their components.

See even more words we’ve added recently.

Our newly added words and meanings span the galaxy of modern life: greedflation, fire tornado, girl dinner, climate breakdown, skiplagging, bed rotting, range anxiety, keto flu, sound bath, slow fashion, shacket, stellar nursery, superfog, and many more.

February 13, 2024

US House passes controversial bill that expands definition of anti-Semitism

Rights groups warn that the definition could further chill freedom of speech as protests continue on college campuses.

The United States House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would expand the federal definition of anti-Semitism, despite opposition from civil liberties groups.

The bill passed the House on Wednesday by a margin of 320 to 91, and it is largely seen as a reaction to the ongoing antiwar protests unfolding on US university campuses. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Keep reading

The take: university protests spread across the us, at least 200 arrested at may day clashes in turkey, university gaza protests rage on with columbia arrests and violence at ucla.

If the bill were to become law, it would codify a definition of anti-Semitism created by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

That is a federal anti-discrimination law that bars discrimination based on shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics or national origin. Adding IHRA’s definition to the law would allow the federal Department of Education to restrict funding and other resources to campuses perceived as tolerating anti-Semitism.

But critics warn IHRA’s definition could be used to stifle campus protests against Israel’s war in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of 34,568 Palestinians so far.

What is the definition?

IHRA’s working definition of anti-Semitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities”.

According to the IHRA, that definition also encompasses the “targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity”.

The group also includes certain examples in its definition to illustrate anti-Semitism. Saying, for instance, that “the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor” would be deemed anti-Semitic under its terms. The definition also bars any comparison between “contemporary Israeli policy” and “that of the Nazis”.

However, IHRA does specify that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic”.

Bipartisan criticism

Rights groups, however, have raised concerns the definition nevertheless conflates criticism of the state of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism.

In a letter sent to lawmakers on Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) urged House members to vote against the legislation, saying federal law already prohibits anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment.

The bill is “therefore not needed to protect against anti-Semitic discrimination”, the letter said.

“Instead, it would likely chill free speech of students on college campuses by incorrectly equating criticism of the Israeli government with anti-Semitism.”

Those fears were echoed within the House of Representatives itself. During a hearing on Tuesday, Representative Jerry Nadler, a Democrat, said the scope of the definition was too broad.

“By encompassing purely political speech about Israel into Title VI’s ambit, the bill sweeps too broadly,” he said.

Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican, also criticised the bill in a post on the social media platform X, noting that it only referred to the IHRA definition, without providing the exact language or stating clearly which parts would be enshrined into law.

“To find the legally adopted definition of anti-Semitism, one must go to [the IHRA website],” he wrote.

“Not only is the definition listed there, but one also finds specific examples of anti-Semitic speech. Are those examples made part of the law as well?”

Concerns on campus

The IHRA adopted its current definition of anti-Semitism in 2016, and its framing has been embraced by the US State Department under President Joe Biden and his two predecessors.

The vote on Wednesday comes as renewed protests have swept across college campuses in opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza. April has seen the spread of encampments on university lawns, as students call for university leaders to divest from Israel and for government officials to call for a ceasefire.

The Biden administration and other top Washington officials have pledged steadfast support for Israel, despite mounting humanitarian concerns over its military campaign.

US lawmakers also have upped the pressure on university administrators to quash the protests, which they have portrayed as inherently anti-Semitic.

Protest leaders across the country, however, have rejected that characterisation. Instead, they accuse administrators and local officials of conflating support for Palestinians with anti-Semitism.

They also have said their rights are being trampled by administrators who seek to appease lawmakers, prompting at times violent police crackdowns on the encampments.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that several House committees would be tasked with a probe into alleged campus anti-Semitism. But critics fear the investigation could ultimately threaten to withhold federal research grants and other government support from the universities where the protests are occurring.