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Michael Proffitt

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description Michael Proffitt Overview

Michael Proffitt is a British lexicographer who became chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary in 2013. He oversees the continuing revision of the OED, a historical dictionary that documents the development, meanings, and recorded uses of English words through dated evidence. His work is aimed at maintaining the dictionary as a scholarly record of English while adapting its research and publication processes to a primarily digital format.

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When did Michael Proffitt become OED chief editor?

Oxford welcomed Michael Proffitt as chief editor in October 2013 after John Simpson retired. Proffitt had joined the OED in 1989 and later managed editorial projects before taking the top editorial role. [Oxford annual report](https://gazette.web.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/gazette/documents/media/oup_annualreport_2014.pdf)

What does Michael Proffitt edit in the Oxford English Dictionary?

He oversees the continuing revision of the OED, a historical dictionary that records how English words develop through dated quotation evidence. The OED's authority rests on examples of actual usage, not just modern definitions. [OED research overview](https://oed.hertford.ox.ac.uk/about/aims-and-findings/)

Why does the OED use quotations and dates?

A dated quotation shows when a word or sense was used and helps editors trace changes in meaning over time. The OED's historical method grew from a collection of millions of excerpts from English literature and other sources. [OED evidence method](https://oed.hertford.ox.ac.uk/historical-background/oed1-intellectual-climate/19c-historical-methodology/)

What was Michael Proffitt's Pasadena project?

Between 2003 and 2005, Proffitt worked on the OED's Pasadena project, which helped develop a new editing system for the dictionary. He also managed the new words program for about a decade before becoming chief editor. [Michael Proffitt biography](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Proffitt)

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