'Polarization' is Merriam-Webster's 2024 Word of the Year
Merriam-Webster has named “Polarization” as its 2024 Word of the Year, referencing the political landscape of the United States.
In an announcement on Monday, Dec. 9, the publishing company defined “polarization” as “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.”
Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor-at-large, explained that the term refers to “a very specific kind of division.”
“Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center,” he told The Associated Press.
Merriam-Webster said that the word was frequently used across the media landscape. Citing examples, Fox News reported, “Vance's debate answer on immigration crisis shows voter polarization.”
Meanwhile, MSNBC previously reported, “The 2024 presidential election has left our country more polarized than ever.”
Other than the political scene, the word was also used in different contexts. Forbes, for example, warned in November that “cultural polarization is becoming a pressing challenge” in workplaces.
The concepts of "polarization" and the verb "polarize" emerged in the early 1800s to describe the properties of light waves.
“That physical meaning of polarize—'to cause to vibrate in a definite pattern'—led to the political and cultural meaning that helps define the world today,” it wrote.
Other words that were popular in its data were “Totality,” which refers to the state of the total eclipse; “Demure” which was popularized by TikToker Jools Lebron for her viral “very demure, very mindful” phrase; and “Fortnight” a term made popular due to Taylor Swift’s song.
“Pander,” which was also one of the words that defined 2024, was widely used during the US presidential elections when both sides “used it to mock the other.” It means "to say, do, or provide what someone wants or demands even though it is not proper, good, or reasonable.”
The terms “Allision,” a reference to the devastating Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, and “Resonate,” a word conveying deep emotional impact, were frequently used. The latter was said to be “a ChatGPT fave.”
Last year’s word of the year was “Authentic.”
