This Is The Merriam-Webster Word Of The Year

When is the last time you opened up a dictionary? For most of my life, I've had one in my possession. At home and at work, ready to be open whenever I heard a word I didn't know. But it's been a long time since I've had one readily by. Now, my lookups occur online.

In the several decades that I've been on this planet, many words have been added to the dictionary. Some of the new words added for 2022 according to India Today include 'Finfluencer' which is an influencer who focuses on money-related topics and 'Nomophobia' which is a fear of not having your mobile phone with you or it's not working. Been there, unfortunately.

2022 Was The Year Of Malarky

Every year, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary each year reveals its word of the year. In the year 2012, the word of the year was 'Malarky.' According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, that word was chosen due to its use in a vice-presidential debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan. The word was spoken by Joe Biden, and many people began to look up the word's definition.

In 2016, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary runner-up word of the year was 'Bigly.' The website states that people misunderstood Donald Trump during a presidential debate saying this word during a speech. In reality, he said 'Big League', but that confusion led to many looking up what the word meant.

The 2022 Word Of The Year

So, what is the 2022 word of the year? It's 'Gaslighting.' Merriam-Webster describes this word as "the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for one’s own advantage.” The website states that the number of lookups for 'Gaslighting' increased by 1740 percent in 2022.

The word 'Gaslighting' originates in the mid-20th century, meaning a type of deception. Some of the runner-up words for 2022 that were highly searched, include Loamy, Raid, Oligarch, Omicron, Codify, and Sentient.

[via The Conversation, Merriam-Webster Dictionary]