'Integrity' Tops Web Dictionary's Lookups

Imagine this!! Too bad members of Congress and the White House are looking up the word and making it their own.

December 10, 2005

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- In a year filled with political wrangling, natural disasters and pop culture curiosities, Americans turned to Merriam-Webster to help define it all.

Filibuster. Refugee. Tsunami. Each was among the dictionary publisher's 10 most frequently looked-up words among some 7 million users of its online site.

But topping the list is a word that some say gives insight into the country's collective concern about its values: Integrity.

The noun, formally defined as a "firm adherence to a code" and "incorruptibility," has always been a popular one on the Springfield-based company's Web site, said Merriam-Webster president John Morse. But this year, the true meaning of integrity seemed to be of extraordinary concern. About 200,000 people sought its definition online.

"I think the American people have isolated a very important issue for our society to be dealing with," Morse said. "The entire list gives us an interesting window that opens up into what people are thinking about in their lives."

more...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WORD_OF_THE_YEAR?SITE=NVLAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

And,thanks to the net, now measurable!

:toast:

They've heard "integrity" has been keeping some very poor company lately, and they wanted to make sure the word still meant what they thought it did.

corrupt elected officials running my country and government. The more that comes out, the slimier it gets.

"No. 10 on the list is "inept," a word that Morse said was getting a lot of attention in the days after President Bush delivered a live prime time news conference that came to an awkward end when some television networks cut him off to return to their regularly scheduled programs."

and not in places like the government

..wondering how they can spin it!

Remember, they said they were bringing "integrity" to the White House. That's enough to make me look it up myself.