In September, Merriam-Webster announced that 533 words—many of which have become popular in daily conversation—will officially be added to the dictionary. The list of chosen terms includes vacay, dad joke, inspo, and escape room. Merriam-Webster, the oldest dictionary publisher in the U.S., also spurred a bit of controversy by including a new definition for the pronoun they, which is now also accepted as a third-person, singular pronoun for nonbinary people who don’t identify as male or female. But the terms aren’t meant to make a statement; they’re chosen based on the frequency with which they’re used. The dictionary is more a rearview mirror into the evolution of our language than a precursor of change, according to Peter Sokolowski, an editor and lexicographer with Merriam-Webster. “If we see that a term is used frequently, then it’s going to get into the dictionary,” he says. “We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if it weren’t reflecting the truth of the way language is used.”