Word 2019 gives you new ways to work with documents, like improved digital pen features, book-like page navigation, Learning Tools, and translation. Here are highlights of what's new since Word 2016. Microsoft Word or MS Word is a popular word-processing program used mainly for creating documents, such as brochures, letters, learning activities, quizzes, tests, and students' homework assignments. It was first released in 1983 and is one of Microsoft Office suite's applications.