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Dictionaries change: This is literally the end of the English language

Posted at 7:29 AM, Aug 15, 2013
and last updated 2013-08-15 09:29:15-04

(CNN) — This is going to give grammarians a headache, literalists a migraine and language nerds a nervous breakdown.

The definition of literally is no longer the literal definition of literally.

Gizmodo has discovered Google’s definition for literally includes this: “Used to acknowledge that something is not literally true but is used for emphasis or to express strong feeling.”

But it doesn’t end with Google.

Merriam-Wesbter and Cambridge dictionaries have also added the informal, non-literal definition.

So what’s the deal?

Next thing they’ll be telling us that there’s no ham in hamburger, no egg in eggplant, a boxing ring isn’t round and tennis shoes aren’t just for tennis.

We’re literally over it.

Hooray for Dictionary.com who have bucked the trend but include the info in an editor’s note below the definition.

“The use is often criticized; nevertheless, it appears in all but the most carefully edited writing.”

(Reader: insert your own joke here)

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