Merriam-Webster's #1 Word of the Year 2005 (based on online lookups) is..

Integrity

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Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year 2005
Based on your online lookups, the #1 Word of the Year for 2005 is:

1. integrity

Pronunciation: in-'te-gr&-tE
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English integrite, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French integrité, from Latin integritat-, integritas, from integr-, integer entire
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : INCORRUPTIBILITY
2 : an unimpaired condition : SOUNDNESS
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided : COMPLETENESS
synonym see HONESTY

Click on each of the other words in the Top Ten List for their definitions in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:
2. refugee
3. contempt
4. filibuster
5. insipid
6. tsunami
7. pandemic
8. conclave
9. levee
10. inept
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http://www.m-w.com/info/05words.htm

in the dictionary.

just a guess

trying to learn a new word! ;-)

No-one knows what "integrity" means anymore.

Soon we'll have to look it up at a museum.

http://dictionary.reference.com/features/dictionaryalphabet2005.html

Most Popular Word

Dictionary.com presents the "most popular word" for each letter of the alphabet. These are the words, according to our logs, which were the most frequently looked-up in 2005.

The "I" word comes in as "irony"

Their comments: For irony, see the most misspelled word starting with the letter 'G'. In the news: ideologues, indict, Intelligent Design, and regions inundated by disaster.

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cyn·i·cal ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sn-kl)
adj.
Believing or showing the belief that people are motivated chiefly by base or selfish concerns; skeptical of the motives of others: a cynical dismissal of the politician's promise to reform the campaign finance system.
Selfishly or callously calculating: showed a cynical disregard for the safety of his troops in his efforts to advance his reputation.
Negative or pessimistic, as from world-weariness: a cynical view of the average voter's intelligence.
Expressing jaded or scornful skepticism or negativity: cynical laughter.
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Good name; good word to know.

Thanks, though. It's kind of ironic, but not really.

I am cynical and skeptical, but not YET jaded!


:hi:

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

I think I had that one branded into me since birth.

"Integrity. Integrity. Integrity."


Hmmm......

I guess all the Repubs scrambled to the dictionary because they had never encountered integrity with their politicians and were hoping it was something to bash Kerry with. Tsk tsk.

I smell a rat.

I don't believe for a minute that the most looked up word was "integrity." This smells of slamming. Some group decided to MAKE "integrity" the word by slamming the site with that word.

This has all the earmarks of something fabricated by some cause group.

I like their style.....let's just 'go with it' shall we?