Index/Organizations/Merriam-Webster

Merriam-Webster

American dictionary publisher

Fact-Checks

76 results
Dec 20, 2025
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Helloo

Hello — spelled variously as “hello,” “hullo” or “hullo” historically — is the basic English greeting used to begin conversations, answer the phone, or attract attention, and its contemporary usage ra...

Dec 2, 2025
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What is the historical origin of the word nigger and how has its meaning changed over time?

The word traces from Latin niger “black,” entering English via Spanish negro and French nègre in the 16th–17th centuries as a neutral descriptor; by the late 18th and especially the early 19th century...

Nov 18, 2025
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What is golden shower

"Golden shower" most commonly refers to a sexual practice — urinating on another person for sexual arousal — also called urolagnia or "watersports," according to multiple dictionaries and encyclopedia...

Dec 2, 2025

What is the difference between nigger and nigga

The words "nigger" and "nigga" originate from the same racial slur; many authoritative dictionaries and scholars treat "nigga" as a pronunciation variant of "nigger," but there is sustained disagreeme...

Nov 22, 2025

Which GOP senators were labeled RINOs by conservative activist groups since 2010?

Conservative activist groups and right‑wing commentators have used "RINO" (Republican In Name Only) as a political cudgel against many Republican officeholders since 2010, frequently targeting senator...

Dec 8, 2025

What is urolagnia and how common is it in sexual behavior?

Urolagnia (also called urophilia or “watersports”) is a sexual paraphilia in which sexual arousal is tied to urine, urination, or the smell/ sight of urine (definition sources: Merriam‑Webster medical...

Jan 14, 2026

Is a transgender woman really a woman

Mainstream medical, advocacy and major lexical sources define a transgender woman as a person who was assigned male at birth but lives and identifies as a woman, and they treat that identity as womanh...

Dec 7, 2025

What is Fascism, Whats the beliefs and its ideals

Fascism is a modern, militant form of right‑wing nationalism that elevates the state or nation above the individual, centers power in a single leader or party, and enforces social and economic control...

Dec 12, 2025

The definition of the word nigger

The word "nigger" is defined across standard dictionaries as an extremely offensive racial slur directed at Black people; major lexicons call it "probably the most offensive word in English" and note ...

Dec 11, 2025

What is geletide and how is it supposed to work or be used?

“Geletide” does not appear in the supplied reporting or reference material; available sources discuss words and products that resemble the term — notably “gelid” (meaning very cold) and “gelatin” (a g...

Dec 16, 2025

are niggers black?

The word “nigger” is a longstanding racial slur directed at Black people; major dictionaries and reference works label it “extremely offensive” or “used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a Bla...

Nov 29, 2025

How is "white" or European descent defined in global demographic studies?

Definitions of “white” or “European descent” vary by discipline and purpose: population studies and diasporas often mean ancestry from Europe or “people of predominantly European descent” (see a 2024–...

Dec 19, 2025

What is the origin of the term 'wigger'?

The word “wigger” is a slang, typically derogatory label that emerged in late 20th‑century English to describe white people who adopt mannerisms, speech, fashions, or musical tastes associated with Bl...

Dec 2, 2025

is nigger used for women

The racial slur "nigger" is primarily used to refer to Black people and has been recorded as a derogatory epithet since at least the 18th–19th centuries; dictionaries and historical studies frame it a...

Dec 15, 2025

is it bad to say my nigga

The one-syllable form "nigga" is a pronunciation spelling of the slur "nigger" and carries the same fraught history; dictionaries define it as that variant and note its controversial status (Merriam‑W...

Dec 11, 2025

nigger

The word “nigger” is a profoundly offensive racial slur directed at Black people; major reference works label it “extremely offensive” or “insulting and contemptuous” . Historical and scholarly source...

Jan 7, 2026

How do scholars define fascism and how do those definitions apply to modern U.S. political movements?

Scholars treat fascism not as a single, simple label but as a contested cluster of features—violent, exclusionary nationalism, charismatic authoritarian leadership, suppression of opposition, and mass...

Dec 6, 2025

Is the U.S. going through an ethnic cleansing?

Claims that "the U.S. is going through an ethnic cleansing" appear in opinion pieces and advocacy reporting tied to recent Trump-era policies and rhetoric — especially proposals like "remigration" and...

Dec 16, 2025

What is the origin and inventor of geletide and when was it first introduced?

The word “geletide” does not appear in the available search results; reporting instead covers “Yule”/“yuletide” (a Germanic midwinter festival attested in English from about 1475) and separate histori...

Jan 18, 2026

What is the meaning of Respect?

Respect is a layered social and personal concept that names both an internal feeling of esteem and outward behaviors that treat people, rights, or things as worthy of consideration; major dictionaries...