Merriam-Webster reveals its 2024 word of the year

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The definition of the word describes a “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.” The word dates back to the 1800s when the verb “polarize” was first used to describe light waves; the inital definition was “to cause to vibrate in a definite pattern.” In the announcement, Merriam-Webster explained that many Americans searched the word this year to help them understand the “complex state of affairs” regarding the political landscape in both the U.S. and the world. “And polarization is the term that has been used by everyone.” Merriam-Webster also released other words that were considered for the word of the year title. The word “demure” was in the running following the viral TikTok trend; as well as “weird,” in reference to vice presidential candidate Tim Walz’s “weird people on the other side.” The word “fortnight” was also considered, after it was used by Taylor Swift on her 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department. Last week, the Oxford University Press — the publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary — announced its 2024 word of the year was “brain rot.” The publishing company defined the phrase as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material considered to be trivial or unchallenging.” “Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.” The phrase was chosen through a public vote from more than 37,000 people and six words to choose from, with “demure” also being one of the options.