Stefan Fatsis went to great lengths to explore the future of words, with his deep dive into Merriam-Webster. Or, more accurately, the future of defining words. In the video above, we consider the past and present of one word in particular—Merriam-Webster’s most looked-up modern definition, pragmatic (formerly pragmatical). In many ways, its history embodies the evolution of the dictionary.
This video originally appeared on Slate Video. Watch More: slate.com/video