Some of the changes in the new Webster's.

Copy Editor editor-publisher Mary Beth Protomastro reports that since 1976 Webster's New World College Dictionary has been "the primary dictionary" for The New York Times, the Associated Press and United Press International. She also notes that Webster's New World published its fourth edition in July, "the first major revision in 11 years."

Among the changes made to existing entries, she notes these:

* The word antisemitic is now rendered anti-Semitic, and antisemitic appears as a secondary variant. A usage note explains that some writers and scholars prefer antisemitic.

* The spelling on-line has been changed to online, with online given as a variant.

* The third edition listed Down's syndrome as a primary spelling and Down syndrome as a secondary variant. The fourth edition lists Down syndrome as the primary spelling and Down's syndrome as a secondary variant.

* The initialism a k a is now rendered aka.

* The definition of they has been expanded; it now says the word is used "to avoid the masculine implications of generic he."

* The verb pled is no longer labeled "colloquial" (or "informal").

* The word e-mail is no longer labeled "colloquial" (or "informal"), and its definition has been expanded.

* The entry for the verb obsess adds an intransitive sense, "to be obsessed or preoccupied: usually with about, over or on."