Merriam-Webster Announces Twelfth Edition of its Iconic Collegiate Dictionary

Lexicography Aficionados Exult

Springfield, MA, Sept. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the first time in over twenty years, and only the twelfth time ever, Merriam-Webster has published a new edition of its iconic Collegiate Dictionary. 

Complete with thumb notches and a deep red cover, weighing almost five pounds, the Twelfth Edition will be released on November 18, 2025, and is available now for preorder.

“Our website receives over a billion visits per year,” says Greg Barlow, President of Merriam-Webster. “But people still love books. In fact, we continue to sell over a million dictionaries a year — and the new Twelfth Edition is the finest Collegiate we’ve ever published. For those who enjoy books and dictionaries, it will be a volume to cherish.”

Thoroughly updated and redesigned for students, professionals, and word lovers, the Twelfth Edition features over 5,000 new words (including cold brew, farm-to-table, rizz, and dad bod), 1,000 new phrases and idioms, enhanced entries for the top lookups, and more than 20,000 additional usage examples.  

The new Collegiate also introduces curated word lists (e.g., “Words From the 1990s” and “Words For Things That Often Go Unnamed”), expanded usage guidance, and fascinating word histories (e.g., calculate comes from the Latin for “pebble,” because Romans used little stones for addition and subtraction). And readers will still find the classic line drawings – from a friendly looking aardvark to a prickly zoea (“a free swimming planktonic larval form of many decapod crustaceans”). 

Since the previous edition of the Collegiate was published in 2003, much has changed in the world – and at Merriam-Webster. With its leading online dictionary, thesaurus, mobile apps, word games, and social presence, Merriam-Webster has become a media company that informs and delights millions of people every day.

“Over the last ten years, our revenue has grown by nearly 500%, mostly from our digital products,” says Barlow. “But we still love books, and that's why we’re so proud of the Twelfth Edition. This beautiful red dictionary may not be the biggest part of our business, but in many ways it’s the heart.” 

Learn More & Preorder

About Merriam-Webster Inc.
For over 180 years, Merriam-Webster has been America’s leading provider of language information. Each month, our award-winning websites, apps, and social media channels offer guidance to tens of millions of visitors. In print, our publications include Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary (among the best-selling books in American history) and books for students of all ages and abilities. All Merriam-Webster products and services are backed by the largest team of dictionary editors and writers in America. 

For more information, visit Merriam-Webster.com, and follow @MerriamWebster on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Attachments

• Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Twelfth Edition
• Entry for the new word: farm-to-table

Meghan Lunghi
Merriam-Webster Inc.
mlunghi@m-w.com

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