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Black Panther's homeland 'Wakanda' is now an official word thanks to Dictionary.com
Wakanda will be remembered FOREVER — literally. Dictionary.com has made Black Panther's homeland an official addition to the English lexicon — at least in the "Pop Culture" section of the website. This news comes just two weeks after actor Chadwick Boseman, who played the Marvel superhero on the big screen, suddenly died from colon cancer.
Dictionary.com's definition of the word "Wakanda" is as follows:
Wakanda is a fictional African country home to the Marvel Comics superhero the Black Panther.
The Black Panther was memorably portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman in the hugely successful 2018 film adaptation of the same name. The movie Black Panther popularized a salute, known as Wakanda Forever, as a gesture of Black excellence around the world.
The site also explains the origins of the term, examples of how it's used, and who has used it in the past.
In February of this year, Dictionary.com legitimized the name "Baby Yoda" (of The Mandalorian fame) in its slang section.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the late 1960s, Wakanda is notable for its being the most technologically advanced nation on Marvel's fictional version of the planet. To prevent its advanced weaponry (made from the rare, extraterrestrial metal known as vibranium) from getting into the wrong hands, the futuristic African nation keeps itself hidden away from the rest of the world. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, King T'Challa (Boseman) realized that secrecy was not the correct path and began opening up diplomatic relations with other countries. A sequel to Black Panther is in the works, although Marvel Studios and writer-director Ryan Coogler must find a new way forward without their leading man.
Boseman's unexpected death prompted an outpouring of heartfelt tributes from fans and his fellow Marvel co-stars. Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man) announced today that he and his Fantasy Football league will be donating $250,000 to various charities in Boseman's memory.
