Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick

2026-06-17

Ultra-processed is now in the dictionary

Merriam-Webster added *ultra-processed* as an adjective in May 2026 — weeks before the federal government agreed on a legal definition of the term. The article traces the word from its coinage in a 2009 Brazilian nutrition journal (Carlos Monteiro's NOVA classification paper, cited 548 times) through its 17-year migration from academic obscurity to political flashpoint, and explains how the MAHA movement turned a scientific term into a policy battleground. Includes pronunciation, etymology, a stats display of key consumption data, a near-synonym comparison table, and practical usage guidance.

Merriam-Webster / Oxford Word Pick

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Ultra-processed is now in the dictionary

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