Via the Babylon Bee:
SPRINGFIELD, MA—Famed purveyor of dictionaries and authority on the English language, Merriam-Webster, announced on their popular website Friday an update to the definition of the word “Fascism,” which now reads “a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fasciti), or anyone or anything else, really, that one disagrees with in any way.”
The move is an effort to reflect the predominant usage of the word in modern times, according to Merriam-Webster CEO Rodney Powell.
“Words have meanings, yes, but they are fluid meanings that change with time,” he explained in an interview Friday. “We always try to assure that Merriam-Webster definitions accurately represent the meaning of their word as used in everyday life, especially with a term as popular as ‘fascism.’”
“This is what people now mean when they use the word, and we have revised the definition accordingly,” he added.
Pressed to respond to the criticism leveled toward Merriam-Webster for changing a word’s definition based on its misuse, Powell replied that he “[doesn’t] care what any dumb fascist says.”