The outcomes of the 2024 U.S. presidential election rattled the nation and despatched shockwaves the world over — or had been trigger for celebration, relying on who you ask. Is it any shock then that the Merriam-Webster phrase of the yr is “polarization”?
“Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” mentioned Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at giant, in an unique interview with The Related Press forward of Monday’s announcement. “Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.”
The election was so divisive, many American voters went to the polls with a sense that the opposing candidate was an existential menace to the nation. Based on AP VoteCast, a survey of greater than 120,000 voters, about 8 in 10 Kamala Harris voters had been very or considerably involved that Donald Trump’s views — however not Harris’ — had been too excessive, whereas about 7 in 10 Trump voters felt the identical manner about Harris — however not Trump.
The Merriam-Webster entry for “polarization” displays scientific and metaphorical definitions. It’s mostly used to imply “causing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings.” Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month on its web site, chooses its phrase of the yr primarily based on information, monitoring an increase in search and utilization.
Final yr’s decide was “authentic.” This yr’s comes as giant swaths of the U.S. wrestle to achieve consensus on what’s actual.
“It’s always been important to me that the dictionary serve as a kind of neutral and objective arbiter of meaning for everybody,” Sokolowski mentioned. “It’s a kind of backstop for meaning in an era of fake news, alternative facts, whatever you want to say about the value of a word’s meaning in the culture.”
It’s notable that “polarization” originated within the early 1800s — and never through the Renaissance, as did most phrases with Latin roots about science, Sokolowski mentioned. He referred to as it a “pretty young word,” within the scheme of the English language. “Polarized is a term that brings intensity to another word,” he continued, most often used within the U.S. to explain race relations, politics and beliefs.
“The basic job of the dictionary is to tell the truth about words,” the Merriam-Webster editor continued. “We’ve had dictionaries of English for 420 years and it’s only been in the last 20 years or so that we’ve actually known which words people look up.”
“Polarization” extends past political connotations. It is used to focus on recent cracks and deep rifts alike in popular culture, tech tendencies and different industries.
All of the scrutiny over Taylor Swift’s non-public jet utilization? Polarizing. Beef between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake? Polarizing. The Worldwide Olympic Committee’s determination to strip American gymnast Jordan Chiles of her bronze medal after the Paris Video games? You guessed it: polarizing.
Even lighthearted memes — like these making enjoyable of Australian breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn’s efficiency — or the proliferation of look-alike contests, or who counts as a nepo child proved polarizing.
Paradoxically although, individuals are likely to see eye to eye on the phrase itself. Sokolowski cited its frequent use amongst individuals throughout the political spectrum, together with commentators on Fox Information, MSNBC and CNN.
“It’s used by both sides,” he mentioned, “and in a little bit ironic twist to the word, it’s something that actually everyone agrees on.”
Rounding out Merriam-Webster’s prime 10 phrases of 2024:
Demure
TikToker Jools Lebron’s 38-second video describing her workday make-up routine as “very demure, very mindful” lit up the summer time with memes. The video has been considered greater than 50 million occasions, yielding “huge spikes” in lookups, Sokolowski mentioned, and prompting many to study it means reserved or modest.
Fortnight
Taylor Swift’s track “Fortnight,” that includes rapper Submit Malone, undoubtedly spurred many searches for this phrase, which suggests two weeks. “Music can still send people to the dictionary,” Sokolowski mentioned.
Totality
The photo voltaic eclipse in April impressed awe and far journey. There are tens of hundreds of thousands of people that stay alongside a slender stretch from Mexico’s Pacific coast to japanese Canada, in any other case referred to as the trail of totality, the place locals and vacationers gazed skyward to see the moon totally blot out the solar. Usually, the phrase refers to a sum or combination quantity — or wholeness.
Resonate
“Texts developed by AI have a disproportionate percentage of use of the word ‘resonate,’” Sokolowski mentioned. This can be as a result of the phrase, which suggests to have an effect on or attraction to somebody in a private or emotional manner, can add gravitas to writing. However, paradoxically, synthetic intelligence “also betrays itself to be a robot because it’s using that word too much.”
Allision
The phrase was seemed up 60 occasions extra typically than regular when, in March, a ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. “When you have one moving object into a fixed object, that’s an allision, not a collision. You’re showing that one of the two objects struck was not, in fact, in motion,” Sokolowski mentioned.
Bizarre
This summer time on the TV information present “Morning Joe,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz referred to as Republican leaders “weird.” It might have been what launched his nationwide profession, touchdown him because the Democratic vice presidential nominee. Although it is a phrase that folks sometimes misspell — is it “ei” or “ie”? — and seek for that motive, its rise in use was notable, Sokolowski mentioned.
Cognitive
Whether or not the phrase was used to boost questions on President Joe Biden’s debate efficiency or Trump’s personal age, it cropped up typically. It refers to aware mental exercise — equivalent to considering, reasoning, or remembering.
Pander
Pander was used broadly in political commentary, Sokolowski mentioned. “Conservative news outlets accused Kamala Harris of pandering to different groups, especially young voters, Black voters, gun rights supporters.” Whereas Walz mentioned Trump’s go to to a McDonald’s kitchen pandered to hourly wage employees. It means to say, do, or present what somebody — equivalent to an viewers — desires or calls for though it’s not “good, proper, reasonable, etc.”
Democracy
In 2003, Merriam-Webster determined to make “democracy” its first phrase of the yr. Since then, the phrase — which, in fact, means a type of authorities wherein the individuals elect representatives to make selections, insurance policies and legal guidelines — is persistently one of many dictionary’s most seemed up. “There’s a poignancy to that, that people are checking up on it,” Sokolowski mentioned. “Possibly probably the most hopeful factor that the curiosity of the general public exhibits, is that they’re paying consideration.”
