Portuguese-language Michaelis dictionary has added the word "pelé" as an adjective to use when describing someone as "exceptional, incomparable, unique".

It is now one of the 167,000 words included in the online edition and is expected to feature in the print version.

The inclusion comes after a Pelé Foundation-led campaign to honour his impact beyond football attracted more than 125,000 signatures.

Pelé, whose full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, died aged 82 in December 2022 following a period in hospital in Brazil.

The dictionary entry reads: "pe.lé adj. That or someone who is out of the ordinary, who or who by virtue of their quality, value or superiority cannot be equalled to anything or anyone, just like Pelé, nickname of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (1940-2022), who is considered the greatest athlete of all time; exceptional, incomparable, unique."

The Pelé Foundation celebrated the dictionary inclusion, saying it was a fitting tribute to "the king".

"The expression that was once used to refer to the best at what you do is eternalized in the pages of the dictionary," Pelé Foundation wrote on social media.

"Together we made history and put the name of the king of football in our Portuguese language.

"Pelé the meaning of best."

Pelé scored 77 goals across 92 appearances for Brazil, making him the country's joint top scorer in men's international football with Neymar.

The forward won the FIFA World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

In 1999, Pelé was named the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athlete of the Century, and in 2016 he was presented the Olympic Order by IOC President Thomas Bach in his home town of Santos.