Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 26, 2026 is:





symbiosis • \sim-bee-OH-sis\ • noun

Symbiosis is a formal word that refers to a relationship between two people or groups that work with and depend on each other. In biology, symbiosis refers to the relationship between two different kinds of living things that live together and depend on each other.

// The new playground is the result of symbiosis between multiple stakeholders, including residents, donors, and town officials.

// The bacteria exist in symbiosis with the plant’s roots.

See the entry >





Examples:

“In the old days, which weren’t that long ago ... there was that ritual moment when a rock ‘n’ roll idol, in the midst of delivering a classic anthem, would point the mic away from himself and into the arena, indicating that it was time for the audience to take over and sing the lines. It might be Springsteen doing ‘Thunder Road,’ or Madonna doing ‘Holiday.’ ... The loving symbiosis of pop star and pop audience doesn’t get much more reverent than that.” — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 May 2026





Did you know?

Symbiosis was adopted by the scientific community in the late 1800s, coming ultimately (via German) from the Greek symbíōsis, meaning “living together, companionship.” Of course, there are a lot of ways to live together and, accordingly, several flavors of symbiosis. When a biological symbiosis between two organisms is mutually beneficial, it is termed mutualism. For example, oxpeckers are birds so named because they “peck” ticks off of infested cattle and wild mammals, a likely satisfying arrangement for both parties, and textbook mutualism. When one organism lives off another at the other’s expense, however (as, for one icky instance, head lice do), it’s called parasitism. If only parents of elementary school students could call upon an equivalent of oxpeckers to engage in mutualistic symbiosis when the need arose, but alas.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 25, 2026 is:





jaundiced • \JAWN-dist\ • adjective

Jaundiced means “showing or influenced by feelings of distrust, distaste, or hostility.” Someone described as jaundiced, or as possessing jaundiced opinions or views, is typically understood to feel that way because of negative past experiences.

// She developed a jaundiced view of politics after years of chairing her local school board committee and witnessing all kinds of petty shenanigans.

See the entry >





Examples:

“Now, I’m not accusing the mayor of anything. I’m saying that all of these actions were highly inappropriate for an elected official. I voted for her, but will forevermore look at her actions with a jaundiced eye.” — Eric Rinehimer, The Retrospect (Collingswood, New Jersey), 23 Jan. 2026





Did you know?

Cast not a jaundiced eye on the word jaundiced—and by that we mean this: don’t dislike or distrust jaundiced because of past experiences with the word or with others like it. Jaundiced is handy for describing the grumps among us who tend toward envy, aversion, or hostility, and who doesn’t know a few of those? This useful 17th century adjective comes from an also-useful 14th century noun jaundice that still refers to a medical condition in which excess bile pigments in the bloodstream and body tissues cause a person’s skin to turn yellow. The connection between the physical condition and the bad attitude lies in the physiological theory of the bodily humors, which holds that a hostile, irritable temperament is caused by excess yellow bile in one’s body.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 24, 2026 is:





pantheon • \PAN-thee-ahn\ • noun

Pantheon usually refers to a group of famous or notable people or things. It also refers to the officially recognized gods of a particular people, as well as to the Roman Pantheon, the domed temple begun in 27 B.C. and rebuilt circa 118-128 A.D.

// With her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the distinguished bassist and songwriter joined a pantheon of musical legends.

// His research is primarily dedicated to the Greek and Roman pantheons.

See the entry >





Examples:

"From cheeky shots of celebrities like Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger to extravagant, sensual portfolios of America's Olympic squads, the magazine's pantheon of photographers have helped to define the genre of sports portraiture." — Kahina Sekkaï, Vanity Fair, 14 May 2026





Did you know?

Some of the earliest uses of pantheon in the English language refer to the most famous Pantheon, the circular domed temple built in Rome more than 19 centuries ago (and still standing). We can easily identify the origins of the temple's name, which the Romans borrowed from the Greek word for a temple honoring all their gods. That Greek word, pantheion, combines pan- ("all") and theos ("god"). In today's English, pantheon often refers to all the gods of a particular people (as in "the Egyptian pantheon"), a sense that arose in the 16th century but was rarely used until the 19th century. More often, though, pantheon bears a meaning developed later to refer to the eminent company of the highly venerated, be they human or not. A pantheon of this type includes no deities; it is a group of famous or notable people or things, as in "a book joining the pantheon of great world literature."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 23, 2026 is:





quail • \KWAIL\ • verb

To quail is to feel afraid and often to show your fear in a way that can be clearly seen.

// Although giving a 5-minute speech was a requirement for passing the class, a few students quailed at the thought of public speaking, seeming to shrink behind their desks.

See the entry >





Examples:

“Several came to protest but didn’t want their own voices cited. A woman holding a sign reading ‘I’M A 77 YEAR OLD GRANNY FOR FREEDOM’ quailed at the prospect of having her photo in the newspaper.” — Neil Steinberg, The Chicago Sun-Times, 19 Oct. 2025





Did you know?

Turning to the noun quail, referring to any of a number of chicken-related game birds, for information about the verb quail is of little help. The two are etymologically unrelated, and there’s nothing specific in the behavior of quails to suggest the verb’s meaning. But never fear—the next time you hear quail, think quiver instead. Although quail and quiver are also unrelated, they both start with a distinctive qu and have meanings involving a physical reaction to fear. When you quiver (as in response to, say, hearing things that go bump in the night), you shake or move with a slight trembling motion. Quailing often goes a bit beyond trembling; quail implies shrinking or cowering in fear, as perhaps when the things that go bump in the night suddenly start approaching.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 22, 2026 is:





cavalcade • \kav-ul-KAYD\ • noun

Cavalcade most often refers to a series of related things. An older meaning, still in use, is “a procession of riders or carriages”; vehicles or ships in a procession can be referred to as a cavalcade too.

// Since the high-powered console’s debut late last year, video game companies have steadily unveiled a cavalcade of new games that showcase its groundbreaking graphics.

See the entry >





Examples:

“The event opened with a cavalcade of musicians, dancers and local children, followed by a horse-drawn carriage carrying the Watercress King and Queen ... who threw bags of freshly harvested watercress into the crowd as they paraded up and down Broad Street.” — Paul Coates, The Haslemere (England) Herald, 18 May 2026





Did you know?

Cavalcade is a word with deep equestrian roots: it comes (via French and probably Italian) ultimately from the Latin word caballus, meaning “work horse” or “gelding.” (Spanish speakers may recognize the influence of caballus in the word caballo, meaning “horse.”) In the 17th century, cavalcade was used specifically to refer to a procession of horseback riders or carriages, especially as part of a special occasion, whether joyous or funereal. Over time, that meaning was extended to processions of other modes of travel, including ships, vehicles, or even paraders on foot or float (as invoked by the late singer-songwriter Elliott Smith in his song “Rose Parade” with the lyric “a wink and a wave from the cavalcade”). As a cavalcade of words before and since have done, cavalcade also took on a figurative sense to refer to a series of related things, whether or not they happen to be marching (or trotting) down the road.