Blogging — Year in Review 2017
Word of the Year 2017 — Oxford, Cambridge, Merriam Webster, Collins
The year 2017 came to an end. The top four dictionaries of English language that we follow – Oxford, Cambridge, Merriam Webster, and Collins have declared their chosen word of the year which were used a lot in 2017.
If you missed out then find out on this blog post about these words and their definitions.
Year in Review 2017 — Word of the Year
Oxford Dictionaries
Oxford Dictionaries declared Youthquake as its word of the year for 2017. The word is labelled as a “political awakening” among young voters.
Meaning:
Youthquake — A significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.
Diana Vreeland, editor-in-chief of Vogue, coined youthquake — based on the pattern of earthquake — to describe the youth-led fashion and music movement of the swinging sixties, which saw baby boomers reject the traditional values of their parents.
Five decades later, youthquake has been resurrected with a new meaning, now referring to the political awakening of the oft-maligned millennial generation. There was a fivefold increase in usage of youthquake in 2017 compared to 2016.
Oxford Dictionaries — Other Contenders
Antifa: A short word for ‘anti-fascist’, meaning “a political protest movement comprising autonomous groups affiliated by their militant opposition to fascism and other forms of extreme right-wing ideology”.
Broflake: A man who is readily upset or offended by progressive attitudes that conflict with his more conventional or conservative views.
Kompromat: a Russian term meaning “compromising information collected for use in blackmailing, discrediting, or manipulating someone, typically for political purposes.”
Milkshake Duck: A person or thing that initially inspires delight on social media but is soon revealed to have a distasteful or repugnant past.
Newsjacking: The practice of taking advantage of current events or news stories in such a way as to promote or advertise one’s product or brand.
Unicorn: This doesn’t refer to the mythical animal but used for denoting something, especially an item of food or drink, that is dyed in rainbow colours, decorated with glitter etc.
White Fragility: Discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice.
Oxford Dictionaries — Other Contenders
Cambridge Dictionary
Cambridge Dictionary declared Populism as its word of the year for 2017. The word is labelled as a “mainly disapproving” one.
Meaning:
Populism — Political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want.
The use of populism primarily spiked around late January when Pope Francis in an interview with the El Pais newspaper warned against the rising tide of populism on the lines of Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony as the 45th President of the US.
The term spiked again in the middle of March after yet another interview with the Pope by German newspaper Die Zeit.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Merriam-Webster Dictionary declared Feminism as its word of the year for 2017. The word saw an increase of about 70 per cent in online searches in 2017 as compared to 2016.
Meaning:
Feminism — The theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes and organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.
The word spiked in use after the women’s march in the last week of January in Washington DC and around the globe. It saw another surge in February when Donald Trump’s adviser Kellyanne Conway said that she didn’t consider herself a feminist “in the classic sense because it seems to be very anti-male and very pro-abortion in this context.”
The #MeToo campaign that started with revelations about producer Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual harassment of women in Hollywood was the final push for feminism.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary — Other Contenders
Complicit: According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary it means “helping to commit a crime or do wrong in some way.”
Recuse: It is defined as “to disqualify (oneself) as judge in a particular case.”
Dotard: It means “a person in his or her dotage.”
Collins Dictionary
Collins Dictionary declared Fake News as its word of the year for 2017. The word saw an unprecedented 365 per cent rise in usage last year.
Meaning:
Fake News — False, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting.
Collins Dictionary — Fake News
This sketch was written, produced and performed by The Free Association in partnership with Collins.
With the massive surge in the number of “news” articles that are published around the world on the web every day, it’s hard to know what is fact and what is fiction.
One of the main reasons behind this unprecedented spike in the use of fake news is its common usage by US President Donald Trump. The word’s popular usage also reflects the society’s decreasing trust is news reporting.
Collins Dictionary — Other Contenders
Fidget Spinner: A small toy comprising two or three prongs arranged around a central bearing, designed to be spun by the fingers as means of improving concentration or relieving stress.
Echo Chamber: An environment, especially on a social media site, in which any statement of opinion is likely to be greeted with approval because it will only be read or heard by people who hold similar views.
Gender Fluid: Not identifying exclusively with one gender rather than another.
Cuffing Season: The period of autumn and winter, when single people are considered likely to seek settled relationships rather than engage in casual affairs.
Insta: Of or relating to the photo-sharing application Instagram.
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