Most of us have done this, I think.

I was writing something. I was not sure of the spelling, or even whether I was using the word properly. “DISCOMBOBULATED.”

I Googled it.

The first definition that I came across referenced “confused” and “disconcerted.”

As an adjective, I saw “disoriented” and “befuddled” as synonyms. The verb, discombobulate was described as “to confuse” or “to frustrate.”

This made me wonder if there was such a word  as “combobulate,” used to refer to a type of opposite action. That would mean:

To put into order or clarity.

I looked up online urban and colloquial dictionaries that displayed the term. Their verbiage built on the idea of bringing order and coherence out of “disarray.” Entries went on to explain the expression has been used as a sort of tongue in cheek descriptor but is not, officially, a word.

If combobulate is not a word, it should be. At least, I think so.

More Googling ensued. I read that about five hundred words were added to the Webster’s dictionary in 2021.

Many new words came from terms that have become popular in our networked culture. (Apparently, the Internet is not just a breeding ground for memes and emojis.) Other terms come from science, politics and culture..

I love this idea — that language is a living thing. It is fundamental to life. Command of language is one of the most important skills a child can acquire.

Adding a word into our lexicon works because people agree on the meaning of something. (Okay, the concept of agreeing on the meaning of something was bankable until Kellyanne Conway came up with “alternative facts” in 2017. )

“Deplatform,” meaning to take away someone’s ability to get out their message and  “whataboutism,” responding to an accusation of wrongdoing by citing equal or worse offenses committed by others, are among my favorite additions from this past year.

And, how about contactless?  Five years ago, would you have imagined this as a word?

I love that language is mostly reliable as a means of communications. Yet, it is always getting refreshed.

I love the democratic principles behind how things get changed up.

Yes there are media personalities that can popularize a term like Stephen Colbert did when he introduced the term “truthiness.”

But basically, anyone can bring a new word into our language. All they have to do is get others to agree on its meaning and get lots of people to use it.

Combobulate… What do you think?

Maybe we could put our relationships and priorities in order while learning how to serve individual AND global interests if we only had a word for such an enterprise — if we began all joint endeavors by starting with agreement and applying the same rules to everyone.

Adding a word to our language, like taking a first step towards social change, by rallying around what we can agree on, Is no small thing.