The results of the rattled the country and sent shockwaves across the world 91裸聊视频� or were cause for celebration, depending on who you ask. Is it any surprise then that the is 91裸聊视频減olarization91裸聊视频�?

91裸聊视频淧olarization means division, but it91裸聊视频檚 a very specific kind of division,91裸聊视频� said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster91裸聊视频檚 editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday91裸聊视频檚 announcement. 91裸聊视频淧olarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.91裸聊视频�

The election was so divisive, many American voters went to the polls with a feeling that the opposing candidate was an existential threat to the nation. a survey of more than 120,000 voters, about 8 in 10 Kamala Harris voters were very or somewhat concerned that Donald Trump91裸聊视频檚 views 91裸聊视频� but not Harris91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� were too extreme, while about 7 in 10 Trump voters felt the same way about Harris 91裸聊视频� but not Trump.

The reflects scientific and metaphorical definitions. It91裸聊视频檚 most commonly used to mean 91裸聊视频渃ausing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings.91裸聊视频� Merriam-Webster, which logs 100 million pageviews a month on its site, chooses its word of the year based on data, tracking a rise in search and usage.

Last year91裸聊视频檚 This year91裸聊视频檚 comes as large swaths of the U.S. struggle to reach consensus on what is real.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 always been important to me that the dictionary serve as a kind of neutral and objective arbiter of meaning for everybody,91裸聊视频� Sokolowski said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a kind of backstop for meaning in an era of fake news, alternative facts, whatever you want to say about the value of a word91裸聊视频檚 meaning in the culture.91裸聊视频�

It91裸聊视频檚 notable that 91裸聊视频減olarization91裸聊视频� originated in the early 1800s 91裸聊视频� and not during the Renaissance, as did most words with Latin roots about science, Sokolowski said. He called it a 91裸聊视频減retty young word,91裸聊视频� in the scheme of the English language. 91裸聊视频淧olarized is a term that brings intensity to another word,91裸聊视频� he continued, most frequently used in the U.S. to describe race relations, politics and ideology.

91裸聊视频淭he basic job of the dictionary is to tell the truth about words,91裸聊视频� the Merriam-Webster editor continued. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e had dictionaries of English for 420 years and it91裸聊视频檚 only been in the last 20 years or so that we91裸聊视频檝e actually known which words people look up.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淧olarization91裸聊视频� extends beyond political connotations. It91裸聊视频檚 used to highlight fresh cracks and deep rifts alike tech trends and other industries.

All the scrutiny over ? Polarizing. Beef between rappers ? Polarizing. The International Olympic Committee91裸聊视频檚 decision to strip American after the Paris Games? You guessed it: polarizing.

Even lighthearted memes 91裸聊视频� like those making fun of Australian breakdancer Rachael 91裸聊视频淩aygun91裸聊视频� Gunn91裸聊视频檚 performance 91裸聊视频� or the proliferation of look-alike contests, or who counts as a nepo baby proved polarizing.

Paradoxically though, people tend to see eye to eye on the word itself. Sokolowski cited its frequent use among people across the political spectrum, including commentators on Fox News, MSNBC and CNN.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 used by both sides,91裸聊视频� he said, 91裸聊视频渁nd in a little bit ironic twist to the word, it91裸聊视频檚 something that actually everyone agrees on.91裸聊视频�

Rounding out Merriam-Webster91裸聊视频檚 top 10 words of 2024:

Demure

describing her workday makeup routine as 91裸聊视频渧ery , very mindful91裸聊视频� lit up the summer with memes. The video has been viewed , yielding 91裸聊视频渉uge spikes91裸聊视频� in lookups, Sokolowski said, and prompting many to learn it means reserved or modest.

Fortnight

song 91裸聊视频淔ortnight,91裸聊视频� featuring rapper Post Malone, undoubtedly spurred many searches for , which means two weeks. 91裸聊视频淢usic can still send people to the dictionary,91裸聊视频� Sokolowski said.

Totality

The inspired awe and much travel. There are tens of millions of people who live along a narrow stretch from Mexico91裸聊视频檚 Pacific coast to eastern Canada, otherwise known as the path of , where locals and travelers gazed skyward to see the moon fully blot out the sun. Generally, the word refers to a sum or aggregate amount 91裸聊视频� or wholeness.

Resonate

91裸聊视频淭exts developed by AI have a disproportionate percentage of use of the word Sokolowski said. This may be because the word, which means to affect or appeal to someone in a personal or emotional way, can add gravitas to writing. But, paradoxically, 91裸聊视频渁lso betrays itself to be a robot because it91裸聊视频檚 using that word too much.91裸聊视频�

Allision

The often than usual when, in March, a ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. 91裸聊视频淲hen you have one moving object into a fixed object, that91裸聊视频檚 an allision, not a collision. You91裸聊视频檙e showing that one of the two objects struck was not, in fact, in motion,91裸聊视频� Sokolowski said.

Weird

This summer on the TV news show 91裸聊视频淢orning Joe,91裸聊视频� Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called Republican leaders It may have been landing him as the Democratic vice presidential nominee. Though it91裸聊视频檚 a word that people typically misspell 91裸聊视频� is it 91裸聊视频渆i91裸聊视频� or 91裸聊视频渋e91裸聊视频�? 91裸聊视频� and search for that reason, its rise in use was notable, Sokolowski said.

Cognitive

Whether was used to raise questions about President Joe Biden91裸聊视频檚 debate performance or Trump91裸聊视频檚 own age, it cropped up often. It refers to conscious intellectual activity 91裸聊视频� such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering.

Pander

was used widely in political commentary, Sokolowski said. 91裸聊视频淐onservative news outlets accused Kamala Harris of pandering to different groups, especially young voters, Black voters, gun rights supporters.91裸聊视频� Whereas Walz said Trump91裸聊视频檚 visit to a McDonald91裸聊视频檚 kitchen pandered to hourly wage workers. It means to say, do, or provide what someone 91裸聊视频� such as an audience 91裸聊视频� wants or demands even though it is not 91裸聊视频済ood, proper, reasonable, etc.91裸聊视频�

Democracy

In 2003, Merriam-Webster decided to make 91裸聊视频渄emocracy91裸聊视频� its first word of the year. Since then, the 91裸聊视频� which, of course, means a form of government in which the people elect representatives to make decisions, policies and laws 91裸聊视频� is consistently one of the dictionary91裸聊视频檚 most looked up. 91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 a poignancy to that, that people are checking up on it,91裸聊视频� Sokolowski said. 91裸聊视频淢aybe the most hopeful thing that the curiosity of the public shows, is that they91裸聊视频檙e paying attention.91裸聊视频�