• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Leadership

People Want to Know What ‘Braggadocious’ Means Thanks to Donald Trump

By
Katie Reilly
Katie Reilly
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Reilly
Katie Reilly
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 27, 2016, 1:44 PM ET
Hillary Clinton And Donald Trump Face Off In First Presidential Debate At Hofstra University
HEMPSTEAD, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump smiles during the Presidential Debate at Hofstra University on September 26, 2016 in Hempstead, New York. The first of four debates for the 2016 Election, three Presidential and one Vice Presidential, is moderated by NBC's Lester Holt. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)Photo by Win McNamee — Getty Images

Some of the words used by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in Monday’s presidential debate left voters wondering.

Dictionary.com provided Fortune with a list of the most-searched definitions during the first general election showdown, including desktop and mobile searches.

Here are some of the words that were trending after the debate:

Word: braggadocious

Definition: (adjective) boastful

Debate Usage: Trump used the word while responding to Clinton’s accusation that he has refused to release his tax returns because he’s not as rich or as charitable as he claims to be, or because he doesn’t want Americans to know he hasn’t paid federal income taxes. Trump, in turn, argued that “you don’t learn that much from tax returns” and touted his wealth.

“I have a great company,” he said. “I have a tremendous income. And the reason I say that is not in a braggadocious way. It’s because it’s about time that this country had somebody running it that has an idea about money.”

Dictionary.com saw a 12,545% increase in searches for the word. “Braggadocio” was also popular, increasing 1,106%.

 

Word: bigly

Definition: (adverb) in a big manner; successfully

Debate Usage: Dictionary.com saw a 2,330% spike in searches for “bigly,” even though it was technically never mentioned during the debate. Trump is partial toward the expression “big league,” which often sounds like “bigly.” The phrase has sparked questions throughout the presidential campaign, and there’s still some debate over what Trump said on Monday. But multiple transcriptions, including that of CQ TranscriptsWire and the Washington Post, characterized it as “big league.”

“I’m going to cut taxes big league, and you’re going to raise taxes big league, end of story,” Trump said.

Word: birtherism

Definition: (noun) This isn’t a word by dictionary standards, but it refers to the long-debunked conspiracy theory that President Barack Obama was not born in the U.S.

Debate Usage: The term factored prominently into the debate, as Trump—who was long one of the most vocal proponents of the theory—was asked why it took him so long to admit that Obama was born in the U.S., which he finally did this month. After repeating the false claim that Clinton’s 2008 campaign started the “birther” argument, Trump said he did “a good job” in getting Obama to release his long-form birth certificate.

“I was the one that got him to produce the birth certificate. And I think I did a good job,” Trump said.

Clinton attacked Trump on the issue, calling it a “racist birther lie.”

“He has a long record of engaging in racist behavior, and the birther lie was a very hurtful one,” Clinton said. “You know, Barack Obama is a man of great dignity. And I could tell how much it bothered him and annoyed him that this was being touted and used against him.”

Dictionary.com saw a 1,034% increase in searches for “birtherism.”

Word: temperament

Definition: (noun) the combination of mental, physical, and emotional traits of a person; natural predisposition

Debate Usage: Trump used the word five times in an argument against Clinton, positing that he has a “much better temperament than she has.” Searches for the word on Dictionary.com increased 2,174%.

“I have much better judgment than she does. There’s no question about that. I also have a much better temperament than she has, you know?” Trump said, prompting laughter from the audience.

“I think my strongest asset, maybe by far, is my temperament. I have a winning temperament. I know how to win,” he added.

It was Trump’s attempt to flip one of Clinton’s common criticisms against him, as she has repeatedly characterized him as “temperamentally unfit to be President.” She made the same argument on Monday, gleefully shimmying her shoulders when it was her turn to respond.

About the Author
By Katie Reilly
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Logan Brown, the founder of AI-powered law firm Soxton
SuccessCareers
The founder of a $2.5 million AI-powered legal business started work at her DA’s office at just 12 years old
By Emma BurleighApril 5, 2026
53 minutes ago
Gen Z are already more bullish than millennials about early retirement—and many think they can quit work for good with just $500,000
SuccessRetirement
Gen Z are already more bullish than millennials about early retirement—and many think they can quit work for good with just $500,000
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 4, 2026
14 hours ago
stu
Personal FinanceRetirement
Meet a 74-year-old New Yorker who unretired to become an Uber driver: ‘I’m amazed at what people will tell me’
By Cathy Bussewitz and The Associated PressApril 4, 2026
17 hours ago
Microsoft just turned 51. Here’s a look at an iconic 1978 photo of its first employees and where they are now
Big TechMicrosoft
Microsoft just turned 51. Here’s a look at an iconic 1978 photo of its first employees and where they are now
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 4, 2026
21 hours ago
stressed student
Personal FinanceColleges and Universities
College grads in ‘AI-proof’ careers like psychology and education are seeing negative returns on their degrees
By Jake AngeloApril 4, 2026
22 hours ago
Delta CEO Ed Bastian
Successsuccess
How Delta uses Tom Brady to train its 100,000 workforce on leadership and a winner’s mindset
By Emma BurleighApril 4, 2026
23 hours ago

Most Popular

The World Cup is supposed to be an economic windfall. But 'you're seeing a number of headwinds' now
North America
The World Cup is supposed to be an economic windfall. But 'you're seeing a number of headwinds' now
By Fortune EditorsApril 4, 2026
21 hours ago
College grads in ‘AI-proof’ careers like psychology and education are seeing negative returns on their degrees
Personal Finance
College grads in ‘AI-proof’ careers like psychology and education are seeing negative returns on their degrees
By Fortune EditorsApril 4, 2026
22 hours ago
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we’re just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers
Innovation
Google CEO Sundar Pichai says we’re just a decade away from a new normal of extraterrestrial data centers
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
2 days ago
Major 4-day workweek study suggests that when we work 5 days we spend one doing basically nothing
Success
Major 4-day workweek study suggests that when we work 5 days we spend one doing basically nothing
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of April 3, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of April 3, 2026
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Fortune EditorsApril 2, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.