Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2025 is: validate \VAL-uh-dayt\ verb To validate something is to show that it is real or correct. Validate can also mean “to state or show that something is legal or official,” “to put a mark on something to show that it has been checked and is official or accepted,” and “to show that someone’s feelings, opinions, etc., are fair and reasonable.” // The company’s claims about its latest product are yet to be validated. // You can get discounted parking by having your parking garage ticket validated at the museum's ticket desk. // The decline in sales only validated our concerns about the menu changes. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/validate) Examples: “Rather than capitulate to the common assumption that all Korean immigrants and Korean Americans perceive Korea to be one’s home, or America for that matter, Clay Walls serves to fully contextualize and validate one’s sense of home and homeland, and the possibility of multiple homes and homelands ...” — David S. Cho, introduction to Clay Walls by Kim Ronyoung, 2024 Did you know? When validate first entered the language in the mid-17th century, its meaning was tied fast to its close relative, the adjective [valid](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valid), meaning “executed with the proper legal authority and formalities”: to validate something, such as a marriage or treaty, was to make it legally valid. This meaning is still current, but the word is now used in nonlegal and informal contexts as well. If the museum you visit validates your parking garage ticket, you're given an official mark on the ticket and you do not have to pay full price for parking. If someone’s claims cannot be validated, those claims cannot be confirmed. And if a coach puts an untested player into the game and the player scores the winning point, the player’s strong performance validates the coach’s decision.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 20, 2025 is: salient \SAIL-yunt\ adjective Something described as salient is very important or noticeable. // The assignment was to write down the most salient points made in the article. // One salient feature of the band's music is the variety of different genres it incorporates into a singular sound. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salient) Examples: "All actors use their bodies, but [[Zoe] Saldaña](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zoe-Saldana) has long been on another plane. She doesn’t just interpret characters, she moves through them with such salient physicality that her body often has as much to say as the dialogue she speaks." — Gia Kourlas, The New York Times, 28 Feb. 2025 Did you know? When salient first hopped into English, it described things—animals especially—that move by jumping, springing, or leaping. Small wonder, then, that the word comes from the Latin verb salire, meaning "to leap." ([Polyglots](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polyglot) may also recognize the influence of salire on the Spanish verb salir, meaning "to leave," and the French verb saillir, meaning "to jut out.") Today, salient is usually used to describe things that "leap out" in a figurative sense, such as the salient features of a painting or the salient points made in an essay or argument.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 19, 2025 is: euphemism \YOO-fuh-miz-um\ noun A euphemism is a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive. // The HR department advises using the euphemism “[let go](https://bit.ly/44ERC0E)” instead of saying that someone was fired. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euphemism) Examples: “The new model supposedly has fewer [hallucinations](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hallucination)—a common euphemism for when AI models produce inaccurate or misleading results.” — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 Did you know? There are times when circumstances call for a gentler or pleasanter word or phrase rather than the most direct one. Such words and phrases are known as euphemisms, with the word euphemism coming, fittingly, from the Greek word eúphēmos, meaning “sounding good.” [Powder room](https://bit.ly/4lwNHZr), for example, is one of many euphemisms in the English language for a lavatory, aka the place where one goes when one requires the use of a toilet and sink. (Actually, we are hard pressed to find a non-euphemistic word for such a room; like powder room, the terms bathroom, restroom, and washroom all tiptoe around the often-primary reason one has for visiting it.) Similarly [love handles](https://bit.ly/44BpyuT) is a euphemism for fatty bulges along the sides of one’s body at the waist, though as everyone who’s ever snuggled up to a loved one endowed with such bulges knows, love handles is a much better descriptor for what makes a person extra snuggly.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2025 is: ostentatious \ah-stun-TAY-shus\ adjective Ostentatious describes someone or something that displays wealth, knowledge, power, etc., in a way that is meant to attract attention, admiration, or envy. Things that are ostentatious tend to stand out as overly elaborate or conspicuous. // The resort town is famous for its extravagantly expensive summer homes, which some tourists view as impressive and others merely ostentatious. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostentatious) Examples: "[Valentino](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Valentino) presented a dizzying display at Paris [haute couture](https://bit.ly/40kydQ0) week, fusing the past and present in theatrical, ostentatious designs." — Lara Owen, The Independent (United Kingdom), 29 Jan. 2025 Did you know? Both ostentatious and the related noun [ostentation](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ostentation) can be traced to the Latin verb ostentāre, meaning "to [display](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/display)," and the idea of display persists in the English word’s current use: people and things described as ostentatious seem to be practically begging to be looked at. Ostentatious is often applied to objects and buildings that can also be described as luxurious—flashy jewelry, mansions, edifices with marble columns. Someone with an ostentatious lifestyle spends money in a way that makes it obvious that they have a lot of it. When used in negative constructions—"the house is large but not ostentatious"—the implication is that display isn’t the point.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 17, 2025 is: glitch \GLITCH\ noun Glitch is an informal word referring to an unexpected and usually minor problem. It is used especially for a minor problem with a machine or device, such as a computer. // The email went out to everyone in the company because of a technical glitch. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glitch) Examples: “Britain’s postal system, once overseen directly by a government minister, became a (government-owned) statutory corporation in 1970. In time, parts of it were spun off—since the days of Margaret Thatcher, the nation has pursued privatization more aggressively than most other countries—and the legal and oversight structure was subjected to continual tinkering. In a deal originating as a ‘public-private partnership’ arrangement, the Post Office in the late 1990s computerized its accounting and other operations. ... Glitches in the software soon resulted in hundreds of rural postmasters being falsely accused of theft and summarily fired.” — Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025 Did you know? There’s a glitch in the etymology of glitch—it may come from the Yiddish glitsh, meaning “slippery place,” but that’s not certain. Print use of glitch referring to a brief unexpected surge of electrical current dates to the mid-20th century. Astronaut John Glenn, in his 1962 book Into Orbit, felt the need to explain the term to his readers: “Literally, a glitch is a spike or change in voltage in an electrical circuit which takes place when the circuit suddenly has a new load put on it.” Today, the word can be used of any minor malfunction or snag. If you’re a [gamer](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamer) you might even take advantage of a glitch that causes something unexpected, and sometimes beneficial, to happen in the game.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 16, 2025 is: tempestuous \tem-PESS-chuh-wus\ adjective Tempestuous is used to describe something that is related to or resembles a violent storm. In its literal (and often literary) use tempestuous is synonymous with [turbulent](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turbulent) and [stormy](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stormy). Figuratively, tempestuous describes something or someone full of strong emotions, such as anger or excitement. // On its return to port the unlucky schooner was beset by tempestuous weather and nearly capsized. // Though sometimes a tempestuous relationship, their long marriage was a happy one. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tempestuous) Examples: “Throw in some delightfully varied and tactile textures, ranging from splintering wooden masts to goopy blobfish snot, and the film’s [Moana 2] got plenty of enjoyable atmosphere, whether it’s facing down a motley vessel manned by weird little nut-pirates or the tempestuous waves of the stormy climax.” — Jacob Oller, AV Club, 26 Nov. 2024 Did you know? A [deluge](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deluge) of words in English do double duty in describing both the weather and the various emotions, relationships, and travails of humankind. You might be glad to know (or be) someone with a [sunny](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sunny) disposition, for example, or find yourself bored to tears by a [windy](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/windy) speech. Since its 15th century English debut, tempestuous has also blown in two directions, used in the context of literal storms (as in “tempestuous seas”) and for personalities, arguments, etc., that are figuratively “stormy,” being characterized by strong emotions. Like its older sibling in English, the noun [tempest](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tempest) (“a violent storm,” “uproar”), tempestuous hails via Anglo-French from the Latin word tempestās, which has multiple meanings including “stretch of time,” “season,” and “stormy weather.”

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2025 is: meander \mee-AN-der\ verb To meander is to follow a winding or intricate course—that is, one with a lot of turns and curves—or to walk slowly without a specific goal, purpose, or direction. // We spent the afternoon meandering around the seaside town. // The river meanders through the canyon. [See the entry >](https://bit.ly/40kSAfR) Examples: "Hands down, my favorite hike has been the Seven Bridges Walk in downtown San Diego that starts at the world-famous [San Diego Zoo](https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Diego-Zoo) and meanders about 4.5 miles through surrounding neighborhoods, the downtown area and then back to Balboa Park." — Scott Kramer, Forbes, 17 June 2025 Did you know? [Meander](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meander) first meandered into the language in the late 16th century not as verb but as a noun referring to a turn or winding of a stream. The word came to English, by way of Latin, ultimately from Maiandros, the Greek name for a river known today as the [Menderes River](https://www.britannica.com/place/Menderes-River) in what is now southwestern Turkey. The more popular verb use dates to the early 17th century and means both "to follow a winding or intricate course" and "to ramble." Despite its [fluvial](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluvial) origins, these days meander is more commonly used to refer to a person's wandering course than a river's.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 14, 2025 is: immutable \ih-MYOO-tuh-bul\ adjective Immutable is a formal adjective used to describe something that is unable to be changed. // It is hardly an immutable fact that cats and dogs are sworn enemies; over the years our golden retriever has grown both fond and protective of her tabby housemate. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immutable) Examples: “... by the 1800s, naturalists like [Lamarck](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Baptiste-Lamarck) were questioning the assumption that species were immutable; they suggested that over time organisms actually grew more complex, with the human species as the pinnacle of the process. [Darwin](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin) brought these speculations into public consciousness in 1859 with On the Origin of Species, and while he emphasized that evolution branches in many directions without any predetermined goal in mind, most people came to think of evolution as a linear progression.” — Ted Chiang, LitHub.com, 6 Mar. 2025 Did you know? Immutable may describe something that is incapable of change, but the word itself—like all words—is [mutable](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutable), both capable of and prone to alteration. To put a finer point on it, if language were fixed, we wouldn’t have immutable itself, which required a variety of [mutations](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutation) of the Latin verb mutare (“to change”) to reach our tongues (or pens, keyboards, or touchscreens—oh the many [permutations](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/permutation) of communication!). Other English words that can be traced back to mutare include [mutate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mutate), [transmute](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transmute), and [commute](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commute). Which reminds us—the mutability of language makes great food for thought during one’s commute.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 13, 2025 is: calculus \KAL-kyuh-lus\ noun Calculus refers to an advanced branch of mathematics that deals mostly with rates of change and with finding lengths, areas, and volumes. The word can also be used more broadly for the act of calculating—that is, estimating something by using practical judgment, or solving or probing the meaning of something. // By my calculus the more efficient air conditioner will have paid for itself within a span of five years. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calculus) Examples: “[Manager, Craig] Counsell said that all options are being considered, and the Cubs will wait to make a decision until they have to, as events between now and [Shota] Imanaga’s official return to the active roster could change the calculus.” — Vinnie Duber, The Chicago Sun-Times, 21 June 2025 Did you know? Solving calculus equations on a chalkboard allows one to erase mistakes, and also hints at the word’s rocky, and possibly chalky, past. Calculus entered English in the 17th century from Latin, in which it referred to a pebble, often one used specifically for adding and subtracting on a counting board. The word thus became associated with computation; the phrase ponere calculos, literally, “to place pebbles,” meant “to carry out a computation.” The Latin calculus, in turn, is thought to perhaps come from the noun calx, meaning “lime” or “limestone,” which is also the ancestor of the English word chalk. Today, in addition to referring to an advanced branch of mathematics, calculus can also be used generally for the act of solving or figuring something out, and as a medical term for the [tartar](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tartar) that forms on teeth, among other things. Whichever way it’s used, we think that calculus rocks.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2025 is: ramshackle \RAM-shak-ul\ adjective Ramshackle describes things that are in a very bad condition and need to be repaired, or that are carelessly or loosely constructed. // Toward the back of the property stood a ramshackle old shed. // The book had a ramshackle plot that was confusing and unbelievable. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ramshackle) Examples: "House of the Weedy Seadragon ... and Semaphore Shack sit side-by-side in the sand dunes. They're part of a cosy cluster of ramshackle residences, built in the 1930s by a Hobart family as weekenders for the extended tribe to fish, swim and while away sun-soaked days." — The Gold Coast (Australia) Bulletin, 4 July 2025 Did you know? Ramshackle has nothing to do with [rams](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ram), nor the act of being rammed, nor [shackles](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shackles). The word is an alteration of [ransackled](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ransackled), an obsolete form of the verb [ransack](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ransack), meaning "to search through or plunder." (Ransack comes from Old Norse rannsaka, which combines rann, "house," and -saka, a relation of the Old English word sēcan, "to seek.") A home that has been ransacked has had its contents thrown into disarray, and that image may be what inspired people to start using ramshackle in the first half of the 19th century to describe something that is poorly constructed or in a state of near collapse. Ramshackle in modern use can also be figurative, as in "a ramshackle excuse for the error."