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title: Jeff Sessions Testimony: Merriam-Webster Defines Scurrilous
description: Merriam-Webster was at it again defining the word scurrilous, which Jeff Sessions used under oath before the Senate Intelligence Committee
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article:published_time: 2017-06-13T21:39:22.000Z
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og:title: Merriam-Webster Defines a Top Trending Jeff Sessions Word
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# Merriam-Webster Happily Reports 'Scurrilous' Is Summer's Hottest New Word Thanks to Jeff Sessions

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by 

[Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/)


## Ashley Hoffman


Jun 13, 2017 9:39 PM UTC

![Attorney General Jeff Sessions Testifies Before Senate Intelligence Committee](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt83dc979982559a0e/6988d1718fd2ee63e4357836/gettyimages-695654380.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 13, 2017 in Washington, DC.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images

by 

[Ashley Hoffman](https://time.com/author/ashley-hoffman/)


## Ashley Hoffman


Jun 13, 2017 9:39 PM UTC

Senate hearings are widely viewed events where words matter, and of everything Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated during his appearance before former colleagues, a [few words](http://time.com/4689877/recuses-meaning-jeff-sessions-donald-trump/) stand out. One of those words is “scurrilous.”

As soon as Sessions used the word under oath before the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday afternoon, [Merriam-Webster](http://time.com/4816247/merriam-webster-dinosaur-troll/) reported that lookups for the word spiked. The word popped up when Sessions vehemently denied that he had any improper meetings or collusion with Russian officials in [sworn testimony](http://time.com/4816993/jeff-sessions-testimony-russia-collusion/) when he called the charges a “detestable lie,” crucially adding that he vowed to defend his honor “against scurrilous and false allegations.”

Merriam-Webster was on the case, tweeting out that the pointed adjective can mean “using or given to coarse language” or “containing obscenities, abuse, or slander,” or it may be used to indicate a thing that is “vulgar and evil.”

“Scurrilous” has been in the lexicon mix since the 16th century, the company added.

Merriam-Webster has carved out a distinct niche on Twitter, where it commands 526,000 followers — often for its swift political commentary schooling us all.

> [](https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster/status/874730106027159553)

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