In a year marked by significant political and social upheaval, Merriam-Webster’s choice for its 2024 Word of the Year comes as no surprise: “Polarization.” The selection, announced amidst the lingering shockwaves of the US presidential election, serves as a potent reflection of the nation’s deep divisions. While the election results themselves were a source of both celebration and condemnation, the selection of “polarization” by “America’s Most Trusted Dictionary” highlights the stark reality of this societal fracture.
“Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” explained Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, in an interview with the Associated Press. He elaborated, stating that “polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.” This definition encompasses both its scientific and metaphorical meanings, most commonly understood as “causing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings.” However, the significance of Merriam-Webster’s choice extends beyond the purely political, illustrating how the term’s usage has permeated various aspects of modern life, marking new fault lines across social, cultural, and even scientific discourse.
Merriam-Webster’s selection process, relying on data gathered from its extensive online presence (boasting 100 million monthly pageviews), tracked a significant surge in searches and usage of the word “polarization.” This data-driven approach reinforces the word’s relevance and widespread adoption in the current socio-political climate. Sokolowski emphasized the dictionary’s role as “a kind of neutral and objective arbiter of meaning for everybody,” particularly important in an era characterized by misinformation and the challenge of discerning factual information from opinion and bias. The dictionary serves as a vital resource, providing a consistent benchmark for meaning in a world increasingly saturated with competing narratives and “alternative facts.”
Beyond “polarization,” Merriam-Webster also unveiled its Top 10 words of 2024, offering a fascinating glimpse into the language shaping our times. This list included terms like “demure,” reflecting changing social norms; “fortnight,” highlighting a resurgence of interest in older vocabulary; and “totality,” likely linked to this year’s significant astronomical event. Other notable entries were “resonate” (significantly used in AI-generated texts, according to Sokolowski); “allision” (whose usage spiked after a notable maritime incident); “weird,” reflecting its application in political commentary; “cognitive” (driven by debates surrounding cognitive ability); “pander” (frequently used in political analysis); and “democracy” (reflecting ongoing conversations surrounding democratic processes). This diverse Top 10 list, alongside the selection of “polarization” as Word of the Year, paints a comprehensive picture of the linguistic landscape of 2024, capturing the complexities and controversies that defined the year. The comprehensive analysis offered by Merriam-Webster underscores the power of language to reflect and shape our understanding of the world around us.
