word of the year

Merriam-Webster's word of the year definitely wasn't picked by AI

1:34pm November 27, 2023

by Emily Olson

"Authentic" was one of this year's most looked-up words, according to the lexical leader. That speaks volumes about our quest for truth in an age of algorithms and online artifice.

A person prepares to administer a Pfizer COVID vaccine at a clinic in Ferguson, Missouri in August 2021. Merriam-Webster has chosen "vaccine" as the word of the year, citing a sustained surge in lookups.

Merriam-Webster's 2021 word of the year is, of course, 'vaccine'

12:49pm November 29, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

The word "vaccine" saw a more than 600% increase in lookups this year over last. In its announcement, Merriam-Webster noted that it's come to represent much more than just medicine.

A social distancing sign on the ground. "Social distancing" was one of dozens of terms highlighted by researchers in Oxford Languages' 2020 Word of the Year campaign.

Arts

Oxford's Defining Words Of 2020: 'Blursday,' 'Systemic Racism' And Yes, 'Pandemic'

9:07pm November 23, 2020

by Reese Oxner

Too much happened in 2020 for Oxford Languages to choose a single word of the year. So they opted for dozens.

Single-use plastic bottles lie washed up on the bank of the River Thames by the Queen Caroline Draw Dock in London.

Arts

'Single-Use' Is The 2018 Word Of The Year, Collins Dictionary Says

10:10pm November 06, 2018

by Richard Gonzales

Collins' annual list of "new" words are meant to highlight and acknowledge the changing culture. They are often words that have been around, but have raised their profile recently.

A screen shot provided by Dictionary.com shows the word "complicit," on its website. Dictionary.com says that "complicit" is its word of the year for 2017, citing its new relevance in politics and social commentary.

'Complicit' Is The Word Of The Year In 2017, Dictionary.com Says

2:53pm November 27, 2017

by Bill Chappell

The website defines complicit as "choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others; having complicity."

Vape was chosen as the word of the year for 2014 in part because it provides a window "onto how we define ourselves," says Casper Grathwohl of the Oxford University Press. Here, women exhale vapor clouds during a competition at the Henley Vaporium in Manh

Take It In: 'Vape' Is The Oxford Dictionaries Word Of The Year

10:28am November 18, 2014

by Bill Chappell

The growing popularity of e-cigarettes sparked the notice of the Oxford Dictionaries, which chose "vape" as the word of the year for 2014. It beat out contenders such as "bae" and "normcore."

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