WASHINGTON A day after White House press secretary Sean Spicer lied through an entire press briefing about the size of the crowds at President Donald Trump s inauguration, Kellyanne Conway on Sunday insisted he had done no such thing.
Sean Spicer gave alternative facts, Conway, a counselor to Trump, said on NBCs Meet The Press.
Not only did host Chuck Todd call out Conway for equating falsehoods with alternative facts she, like Trump, claims he had the biggest inauguration turnout ever, which is easily disproven with photos and data but the dictionary itself stepped in to help clear things up.
A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality, tweeted the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, who, having had the job of defining words since 1828, knows a thing or two about the English language.
A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. https://t.co/gCKRZZm23c
Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 22, 2017","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Merriam-Webster","author_url":"https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster","cache_age":86400,"description":"A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. https://t.co/gCKRZZm23c— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 22, 2017\n","provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Merriam-Webster on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster/status/823221915171061760","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5884fc47e4b096b4a2327073","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/kellyanne-conway-dictionary-facts_n_5884fc47e4b096b4a2327073","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,us-news,kellyanne-conway,elections,merriam-webster,@health_adhd,@health_ibs,@health_models","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":5},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5884fc47e4b096b4a2327073","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/us-news","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/us-news","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/us-news"},"relegenceSubjectId":981465,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"World News","slug":"world-news"},"topic":{"title":"United States","slug":"united-states","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/united-states"},{"name":"kellyanne conway","slug":"kellyanne-conway","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/kellyanne-conway","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/kellyanne-conway","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/kellyanne-conway"},"relegenceId":6425127,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Kellyanne Conway","slug":"kellyanne-conway","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/kellyanne-conway"},{"name":"elections","slug":"elections","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/elections","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/elections","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/elections"},"relegenceSubjectId":979364,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Elections","slug":"elections","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/elections"},{"name":"Merriam-Webster","slug":"merriam-webster","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/merriam-webster","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/merriam-webster","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/merriam-webster"},"relegenceId":5008084,"department":{"name":"Entertainment","slug":"entertainment"},"section":{"title":"Culture & Arts","slug":"arts"},"topic":{"title":"Merriam Webster","slug":"merriam-webster","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/entertainment/topic/merriam-webster"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false,"enhancements":{}}">A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. https://t.co/gCKRZZm23c
Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 22, 2017
The dictionary also linked to a post that it wrote (well, its editors wrote) about how Conways comments fueled a spike in online searches for the word fact. That people arent sure whether alternative facts are still facts appeared to get under the skin the cover? of the dusty, gold-trimmed book thats been begging for attention on your shelf for at least a decade.
In contemporary use, fact is generally understood to refer to something with actual existence, or presented as having objective reality, reads the post.
Its not the first time the dictionary has inserted itself into the political arena. Last February, Merriam-Webster tried to help make sense of one of Trumps error-riddled tweets .
honer: one that hones (https://t.co/76PlKG8PA6)
leightweight: We have no. idea.
chocker: https://t.co/geeDMqiS4D https://t.co/2km86hZAVQ
honer: one that hones (https://t.co/76PlKG8PA6 )
Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) February 26, 2016
leightweight: We have no. idea.
chocker: https://t.co/geeDMqiS4D https://t.co/2km86hZAVQ
Trump has since deleted that tweet, which called Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) a Leightweight chocker [sic] twice, and said it was a Great honer! [sic] that so many polls showed him winning a debate.
Support Free Journalism
Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.
Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
_(720p).jpg)
 OFFICIAL HD MUSIC VIDEO.jpg)
.jpg)
