Every year the English Oxford Dictionary publishes a word that is representative of that year based on its cultural impact and on the number of times the term was searched online. However, the publication’s staff has said that it would not be choosing a word for 2020.

In an interview with The New York Times on November 22nd, Katherine Connor Martin, head of product at Oxford Languages, explained the decision: “What struck the team as most distinctive in 2020 was the sheer scale and scope of change.” This means that so much has changed this year, so fast and in so many places, that it was impossible to choose just one word.

Instead, the Oxford Dictionary has chosen several terms. Among them is blursday which is when the days of the week blend into each other. Infodemic also appears on the list and refers to the high amount of information on the pandemic.

For 2021, Martin said she expects to see lighter and more fun words that do not seem to bear the weight of the world on its shoulders.

Words chosen in the last three years

2019: “Climate emergency” – due to the world’s concern about global warming.

2018: “Toxic” – it was a year with a lot about positivity in relationships and in the work environment.

2017: “Youthquake” – mixture of youth and quake (tremor or shock), in reference to the cultural impact of young people in the world, especially on social networks.

The view from another dictionary

For the English Cambridge Dictionary, the word of the year in 2020 was quarantine.  According to the publication, the peak in search for the term took place in March.

Sources: CNN, G1, O Globo, O Povo, R7, and The New York Times

Questions

1) What was the word of the year in 2018?
a) Climate
b) Toxic
c) Elections
d) Youth

2) Which word best defines 2020 for you? Why?

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