Skip to main content

Merriam-Webster lists ‘sheeple’ as a word, cites Apple fanatics as examples

apple a11 production iphone x concept le pich 2
Le Pich/Instagram
Merriam-Webster understands that its dictionary is a living document, subject to the verbal fashions and colloquialisms of succeeding generations. And as a sign of the times, the respected language source has added the word “sheeple” (a word that our word processor still doesn’t recognize) to the official list of Webster-ordained words. What are sheeple, you ask? Well, as Merriam-Webster would have you believe, they’re Apple fanatics. See? Like we said — a sign of the times.

Let us explain further.

In a recent tweet, the dictionary announced the addition of “sheeple” to its word bank, an informal word defined as “people who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced” and thereby “likened to sheep.” Now, as dictionaries are wont to do, Merriam-Webster provided some context for the word, placing it in a sentence.

The first one is innocuous enough, reading, “James Nichols, who ran the family farm here, stamped dollar bills with red ink in protest against currency and told his neighbors that they were “sheeple” for obeying authority like livestock.”

But then, Merriam-Webster takes its gloves off and sharpens its claws (or at least, selects a user-submitted sentence that is quite vicious). “Apple’s debuted a battery case for the juice-sucking iPhone — an ungainly lumpy case the sheeple will happily shell out $99 for,” a portion of the definition reads. And if you’re interested, this example was submitted by one Doug Criss.

According to Merriam-Webster, which has been cataloging the English language since 1843,  the first use of the word “sheeple” took place in 1945. That was a solid decade before Steve Jobs was even born, and certainly well before any Apple products came about (and elicited great fandom from sheeple everywhere).

So beware, Apple fanatics. You may find yourself the butt of a dictionary joke, but hey, you’ve got your fancy tech products to make you feel better.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
How much is Apple Music, and how can you get it for free?
Apple Music with lossless audio music track playing on OnePlus 11 along with the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 in black color on top of a green cloth surface.

If you're in the market for a music streaming service, you can't really go wrong with Apple Music. With a catalog of more than 100 million songs, all in high-quality lossless audio at no additional cost, Apple's been a contender in this space for nearly as long as music streaming has been a thing.

Here's how much each Apple Music plan costs:

Read more
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s earnings fell by $36M in 2023
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, stands on stage at the September 2021 Fall Apple Event.

Apple compensated its CEO to the tune of $63.2 million in 2023, down from $99.4 million a year earlier.

The data was revealed in an Apple proxy statement released on Thursday.

Read more
The Apple Watch has already saved someone’s life this year
Crash Detection mode on the Apple Watch SE 2.

Natalie Nasatka was feeling disoriented, but she didn't know that she was suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Fortunately, she was able to use the SOS feature on her Apple Watch before losing consciousness. The feature automatically dialed 911 and alerted emergency services, who were able to respond in time to save her life.

Called the silent killer because it has no color, odor, or taste, carbon monoxide sends 50,000 Americans to the emergency room and claims 400 lives each year.

Read more