The wrestling lexicon, much like any sport, is vast, varied, and unique. Terms such as faces and heels, which can often mean different things outside of wrestling, have their own definitions within the industry. An example of such a term often associated with wrestling is kayfabe.
Kayfabe, which is a term used in professional wrestling, became popular as the wrestling industry went mainstream in the 1980s, a time based characterized when the WWF, among others, maintained the illusion of ongoing storylines, including personas and rivalries, to public appearances and even media interviews.
Four decades after fans started adopting the term, kayfabe is now officially a word.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary expanded by adding nearly 700 new words last month, including “Kayfabe”, which it defined as:
kayfabe – noun
kay·fabe
1 : the tacit agreement between professional wrestlers and their fans to pretend that overtly staged wrestling events, stories, characters, etc., are genuine; broadly : tacit agreement to behave as if something is real, sincere, or genuine when it is not
2 : the playacting involved in maintaining kayfabe
Unlike in the 1980s, when maintaining kayfabe was a priority, the WWE now explicitly tries to keep the entertainment product separate from the lives of the talent outside of the squared circle. This all started arguably back in the 1990s when the co-founder of the modern WWE compared professional wrestling to sitcoms and soap operas.
These days, pro wrestling fans have become aware of the line separating real life from entertainment. But, this doesn’t make this inclusion of the word in the Merriam-Webster any less of an achievement.
Kayfabe joins other professional wrestling terms like “babyface” and “heel” with official definitions. In 2020, The Rock’s favourite noun, Jabroni, was also added to the dictionary.
Last month’s update to the Merriam-Webster dictionary saw the addition pop-culture terms like “Padawan”, “speedrun”, “nerf”, “doomscroll”, “edgelord”, and “microtransaction.”
Speaking of the WWE, fans still playing WWE 2K22 might want to upgrade. 2K is taking down the online servers for WWE 2K22 in January, incentivizing an upgrade to WWE 2K23. Between the latest entry’s discounts, new features, and much-improved online matchmaking, it only makes sense to make the move.
