It’s not like it’s a new word, but Dictionary.com has made it official: The word “Swiftie” was added to the website as part of its Fan Favorite Winter Word Drop 2026.
“Swiftie” is one of the 1,500 words that the website has just added, along with similar terms “Beyhive,” “Janeite” and “Trekkie.” The official definitions, respectively, are “a fan of the music Taylor Swift”; “the fanbase of the singer Beyoncé and its online community”; “a fan of the words of Jane Austen and their associated media”; and “a fan of the television series and films that form the Star Trek universe, and associated media.”
As for why these words, which have been in use for quite some time, are being added now, Dictionary.com says, “We wait to add a word to the dictionary until we’ve determined that it has gained relatively widespread use and is likely to stick around. Also, there are a lot of words to keep track of, so sometimes it takes us a while.”
Other words added in the new drop include “nanoplastic,” “biohacker,” “side quest,” “glamazon” and “smashburger.”
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