Gen Z phrases barbiecore and goblinmode enter dictionary

It will feature hundreds of new words unique to Australian English like cozzie (a swimsuit), shonky (poor quality) and servo (service station).

Popular culture, politics and the pandemic have also influenced the linguistic updates.

Barbiecore is a noun that refers to fashion characterised by an all-pink colour palette, especially bright pink. This word entered the mainstream in 2023 with the popularity of the Barbie movie, which has broken box office records and become Warner Bros.' highest grossing film.

The Bachelor's handbag is a colloquial noun that will appear in the dictionary for the first time.

An Australian innovation, the phrase refers to a takeaway roast chicken.

Also known as a bachelor's briefcase or tradie's handbag, it attracts the moniker because roast chicken requires no further preparation before consumption and is seen as a convenient meal favoured by a single person and is often packaged with a handle.

Words from the world of politics include truth-telling, coercive control and infodemic to reflect changing changing laws and perspectives.

Coercive control become a standalone offence in NSW in 2022, an Australian first.

It's defined by the Macquarie Dictionary as the control an abuser exerts over their victim by the threat of violence or destitution, often in the form of financial abuse.

IN OTHER NEWS:

The new dictionary opens with a forward from best-selling Australian author Markus Zusak.

"If we allow ourselves the pleasure, we can spend our lives both discovering and uncovering seemingly infinite combinations of words," he wrote.

"The dictionary is our multi-faceted road map - to view each entry from many angles. It's for that reason that I revere this book, and what it offers to readers and writers."

The new Macquarie Dictionary features Australian flora on the cover and will cost $140.

The ninth edition of the Macquarie Dictionary will be released on September 12.