Words First Used the Year You Were Born (1921-1970)
Britt (157)Every year, Merriam-Webster, the leading American publisher of reference books, adds hundreds of new words to the official dictionary. While there’s no correlation between a person and a word born in the same year, a dictionary is a lot like a history book! Each new word added is an indication of what mattered to society and culture at the time. Those new words can range from technical to playful, but they still hold significance to the history of language.
In a two part series, we’ve gathered a list of words that first came into use in the year you were born, based on Merriam-Webster and other accredited documentations. Spanning seven generations, see how words changed (or didn’t) from as early as the 1920s to present day 2021.
Words are powerful tools that help shape communication between people by spurring on the creation of new ideas, spreading information, or building interpersonal connections. In fact, because languages are always expanding and changing, there can be no true or official count of how many words there are. This is especially true for words that come from other tongues but are established through use, context, and frequency in English.
This particular list features the end of The Greatest Generation to mid-Generation X, from the years 1921 to 1970. Keep in mind that these words are based off a list provided by Merriam-Webster’s and focuses on when a word was first used in print or when new definitions were added. Important events that occurred in this time span include:
- Stock Market Crash
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat
- The Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
- U.S. Army-McCarthy Hearings
- Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
To gain some context into the generations, below is a brief explanation of where their names came from!
The Greatest Generation: Born 1901-1924
Growing up during the Great Depression, the G.I. Generation also fought in World War II. They weren’t deemed “great” until the late ‘90s by news broadcaster Tom Brokaw, citing their moralistic attitude towards the WWII conflict. G.I. stands for “government issue” or “general issue”.
The Silent Generation: Born 1925-1945
Born into a post-war period, they’re named for not speaking out against government. They accepted the government without protest and had a general pursuit of modest careers with a focus on secure domestic lives.
Baby Boomer Generation: Born 1946-1964
Following WWII, population grew globally (aka it boomed) during this generation. They’re known for experiencing the Cold War, the moon landing, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War, and the civil rights movement. They hold optimistic nationalism and prosperous consumerism.
Generation X: Born 1965-1980
Because their birth rate was lower than the Baby Boomers of the previous generation, Generation X is also known as “Baby Busters”. They’re characterized by reactionism, rebellion, self-reliance, and an overall mistrust of institutions and authority. Notable events of their time include the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first personal computer, and a hard emphasis on education.
If you were born after 1971 or just want a glance at history, check out part one for words first used between the years 1971 and 2021.
