Merriam Webster has just unveiled it. word of the year For 2024.
On Monday (Dec. 9), the publisher best known for its American dictionary announced that “polarization” The word Day of the year Appreciation The word defines a “division into two clearly distinct opposites; specifically, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer lie along a continuum but are concentrated at opposite extremes.” ”
The word dates back to the 1800s when the verb “polarize” was first used to describe light waves. The initial definition was “to cause to vibrate in a defined pattern.”
i AnnouncementMaryam-Webster explained that many Americans searched for the word this year to help them understand the “complicated state” of the political landscape, both in America and around the world.
The dictionary also lists examples of “polarization” used in the media, which are mentioned. Fox News And MSNBC In terms of voters and politicians. However, this word can be used in other contexts, such as when Forbes Wrote about “cultural polarization” in the workplace.
Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster editor-at-large, explained how the organization chose this specific word to represent the entire year.
“The online dictionary tells us which words are being looked up, but also in what volume. And so we try to have a data-driven list that tells us what words have been looked up by people in the last year. Sent to the dictionary. Associated Press.
“This year was a year with an important election. The election was clearly the story of the year. “And polarization is a term that is used by everybody.”
Merriam-Webster also released other words considered for the title of the year. The word “demure” was in play. Following the viral TikTok trend; Also regarding “weird”. Vice Presidential Candidate Tim Walls “On the other side are strange people.”
The word “Fornite” was also considered after being used on Taylor Swift’s 2024 album, Department of Poets.
Last week, Oxford University Press – the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary – announced it 2024 word of the year There was a “derangement of the mind.” The publishing company defines the phrase as “the presumed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially as a result of excessive use of material perceived as trivial or unchallenging.”
“Also: something that is likely to cause such deterioration.”
The phrase was chosen by a public vote of over 37,000 people and six words were chosen, with “Demure” being one of the options. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of uses for “brain rot” increased by 230 percent.
“‘Brain rot’ speaks to one of the perceived dangers of virtual life and how we spend our free time,” said Kasper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Languages. “It feels like the right next chapter in the cultural conversation about humanity and technology. It’s no wonder so many voters embraced the term and endorsed it as our choice this year.