The Simpsons word now in the dictionary

Before the apparent word "embiggen" made its way into Merriam-Webster's Dictionary this week, it was featured on The Simpsons - where the word was seemingly created 22 years ago.

Embiggen, a transitive verb, means to make something bigger or more expansive.

Fox News reports that the word made its first appearance in 1996, according to Merriam-Webster.

An episode of The Simpsons that premiered in February of that year, titled Lisa the Iconoclast, featured a scene in which a man announces the iconic town of Springfield's new motto.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man," the character said. "Embiggens? I never heard that word before I moved to Springfield," another character added.

The word - to be used in an "informal" and "humorous" way, according to the dictionary - is just one of 850 words Webster added to its signature book this year.

The Simpsons has a strange way of predicting the future, including Donald Trump's presidency, the attack on Siegfried and Roy by one of their tigers and Greece's financial misfortunes to name a few.

"Subtweet," "mansplain," dumpster fire," "cryptocurrency" and "glamping" were also added to the dictionary.

This article originally appeared on Fox News