Merriam-Webster Captures Mood of America With 2024 Word of the Year

In a year defined by sharp political and cultural divisions, it comes as no surprise that Merriam-Webster has named “polarization” as its 2024 Word of the Year.

What Is the 2024 Word of the Year?

“Polarization,” most commonly used to mean “causing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings,” captured the mood of a country grappling with contentious issues and a fiercely divided electorate.

Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, explained the choice in an interview with The Associated Press (AP) ahead of Monday’s announcement.

“Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” Sokolowski said. “Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.”

Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month on its site, chooses its word of the year based on data, and it noted a significant spike in interest of the term following the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

The election, widely regarded as one of the most divisive in modern history, saw voters perceiving the opposing candidate as an existential threat to the nation. According to AP VoteCast survey of more than 120,000 voters, the ideological divide ran deep with about 8 in 10 Vice President Kamala Harris voters worried about former President Donald Trump’s extreme views, while 7 in 10 of Trump voters said the same of Harris.

However, “polarization” also transcends politics. From contentious decisions in sports to debates in pop culture, the term has been used to describe a multitude of fissures across society. This year alone, topics ranging from singer Taylor Swift’s private jet usage to the latest Olympic controversies have sparked polarized reactions.

“It’s always been important to me that the dictionary serve as a kind of neutral and objective arbiter of meaning for everybody,” Sokolowski told the AP. “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.”

A Young Word With Deep Roots

Despite its modern resonance, “polarization” is a relatively “young word” in the English language, first appearing in the 1800s, according to Sokolowski. Unlike many scientific terms rooted in the Renaissance, its origins are distinctly American in application, often surfacing in discussions about race, ideology, and politics.

“Polarized is a term that brings intensity to another word,” said Sokolowski. “It’s used by both sides and in a little bit ironic twist to the word, it’s something that actually everyone agrees on.”

Beyond Polarization: The Top Words of 2024

Merriam-Webster also released a list of other frequently searched words that reflect the year’s themes and moments:

Demure: Inspired by TikToker Jools Lebron’s viral makeup routine video, the term surged in popularity as users explored its meaning of modesty.

Fortnight: A song collaboration between Swift and Post Malone led to millions searching for the term’s definition.

Totality: The total solar eclipse captivated viewers along its path, drawing attention to this celestial term.

Resonate: The overuse of this term in AI-generated content sparked curiosity and critiques about its evolving role in modern writing.

Allision: This technical term saw a surge in searches after a ship collided with a stationary bridge in Baltimore.

Other notable entries included “weird,” “cognitive,” “pander” and “democracy,” showing the breadth of societal concerns spanning politics, technology, and culture.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.