'Integrity' tops dictionary lookups for 2005

[Thom Little]

In a year filled with political wrangling, natural disasters and pop culture curiosities, Americans turned to Merriam-Webster to help define it all.

Filibuster. Refugee. Tsunami. Each was among the dictionary publisher's 10 most frequently looked-up words among some 7 million users of its online site. But topping the list is a word that some say gives insight into the country's collective concern about its values: Integrity.

The noun, formally defined as a "firm adherence to a code" and "incorruptibility," has always been a popular one on the Springfield company's Web site, says Merriam-Webster president John Morse. But this year, the true meaning of integrity seemed to be of extraordinary concern. About 200,000 people sought an online definition for it.

"I think the American people have isolated a very important issue for our society to be dealing with," Morse said. "People are using the word in conversations about politics, businesses, the media and educational institutions, and want to be sure of its meaning. The entire list gives us an interesting window that opens up into what people are thinking about in their lives."


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MA_WORD_OF_THE_YEAR_MAOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-12-10-12-20-14

[dflprincess]

1. I saw that

and wondered how many of the people looking the word up are Republicans.