Words are more than simply groups of symbols that describe sounds or symbols that describe abstract ideas. Words are “totems.” The first Europeans to reach what is now the American Northwest saw huge, ...

Writing is a tough game sometimes. Writers are constantly searching for the perfect word to convey an idea, to share the right emotion, or explain a difficult concept, among other situations. The ...

In an age of polarized debates and dug-in opinions, obdurate feels more relevant than ever. It’s the word that captures our cultural stalemates: firm, unmovable, sometimes admirable and often ...

Kory Stamper, a lexicographer for Merriam-Webster and the author of "Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries," took four months to define the word "god." Following is a transcript of the video.