Merriam-Webster Adds ‘Sheeple’ to Dictionary—Uses Apple Fans as Example

Merriam-Webster has added the word ‘sheeple’ officially to their dictionary, describing people who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced. The 205-year old dictionary however, chose to throw some shade on Apple fans in the process, citing them as an example of this definition using a quote attributed to CNN journalist Doug Criss: “Apple’s debuted a battery case for the juice-sucking iPhone—an ungainly lumpy case the sheeple will happily shell out $99 for.”

Apple sales are holding strong and still dominate the mobile market. With the iPhone 8, Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone’s release, lines around the block can be expected again as fans will want to be the first ones to grab it ahead of everyone else despite the high-price and the weeks-long queue. Some have even lined up for an entire week, missing work days just to be one of the first in line during the previous iPhone releases. Even before Merriam-Webster used the term, Apple fans are used to the name-calling and it is doubtful that they can be shamed out of the habit, if they truly are ‘sheeple’.

The term is actually a lot older than most people think. According to Merriam-Webster, the first known use was in 1945, although Google’s Ngram viewer shows that it was used years before that, appearing in books from 1868, although a usage spike can be seen from the the 1940s to the early 1960s.