Seriosity

[Mobin Shabani]

Hi everyone,

I am a non-native English teacher and recently something weird has been happening in my classes quite a lot. My students ask me if a word exists in English and since I haven't seen that word before, I answer probably not, and then I google the word and Merriam-Webster online dictionary (and sometimes other onnline dictionaries like Cambridge) has an entry with that uncommon word. For example, recently I was asked if the word seriosity exists in English and to my surprise I saw that it was on Merriam-Webster. Then I began to doubt if we can trust these online dictionaries.

Does this word exist in English? Should English teachers trust these online dictionaries?

 

[emsr2d2]

I've never heard it so I Googled it. I was staggered to find it in many dictionaries. If I hadn't looked it up, I would have assumed the speaker had made a mistake and meant "seriousness".
The OED gives the earliest known use as the early 1500s. I don't have an account on the OED website but the information I could read said "one definition is marked as obsolete". As I don't have an account, I couldn't see the two definitions but certainly one of them would have been the equivalent of seriousness.
I'd tell your students that it is an English word but I would discourage them from using it.

Don't forget that many online dictionaries list every word that has ever existed in English. You have to be careful to check for obsolescence. Also, you can check Google's Ngram to see how frequently (or otherwise) a word is used in written English. For example, here's the Ngram for "seriosity". As you can see, it's used but the instances of use are infinitesimally small.

 

[teechar]

For example, here's the Ngram for "seriosity". As you can see, it's used but the instances of use are infinitesimally small.

Indeed, especially when compared with "seriousness".

 

[jutfrank]

Should English teachers trust these online dictionaries?

I'd say that it depends on the dictionary, but the big ones, in general, yes. As a teacher, to a large extent you must rely on your own sense, but it does take some skill to learn how to read dictionary entries carefully, noting frequency and any other relevant aspects of usage.

I personally don't like Merriam-Webster one bit. It really should state that 'seriosity' is an obsolete word. Can you remember any examples of words other than 'seriosity' that your students have queried and that you'd never heard?