Significant divisions have characterized America recently—a trend Merriam-Webster has officially recognized.
On Monday, the renowned American dictionary publisher announced that “polarization”—defined as “division into two sharply contrasting opposites; particularly, a state where societal opinions, beliefs, or interests concentrate at opposing extremes rather than along a spectrum”—is its 2024 Word of the Year.
The term—used since the early 1800s to describe light waves but frequently applied to politics today—was selected after a year of extensive website data analysis, including a U.S. presidential election that widened the gap between political ideologies. Merriam-Webster had already added new entries to its dictionary in 2024, including “far left,” “far right,” and “MAGA”—the abbreviation for President-elect Donald Trump’s divisive Make America Great Again movement.
Polarization is typically criticized. It’s divisive, and it’s contentious. “In a somewhat ironic twist,” noted Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, Peter Sokolowski, regarding the widespread use of “polarization” across the political spectrum, in a statement, “it’s something everyone agrees on.”
However, Merriam-Webster didn’t limit its selection to a single word for 2024. It also highlighted nine additional words with significant website search volume this year:
totality
Defined as “the phase of an eclipse when it is total,” the word “totality” saw increased interest due to the total solar eclipse in April 2024—a rare celestial event that generated significant media coverage and public fascination.
demure
The word “demure” gained popularity this year thanks to TikTok creator Jools Lebron, who launched a trend using the phrase “very demure, very mindful.” According to Merriam-Webster: “In its earliest 14th-century usage, demure described those who avoided attention. Since then, it has also described those whose shyness is somewhat affected.”
fortnight
“Fortnight”—a primarily British term for a two-week period—was brought “out of relative obscurity,” according to Merriam-Webster, by Taylor Swift, who promoted her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department with a “fortnight” social media campaign and whose song “Fortnight” is nominated for Record of the Year at the 67th Grammy Awards. “Whether Swift’s usage will lead to broader American English adoption remains to be seen,” stated the dictionary publisher.
pander
Lookups of the verb “pander”—meaning “to fulfill someone’s desires, even if improper or unreasonable”—surged during the U.S. presidential race in mid-October, according to Merriam-Webster, as both sides accused the other of pandering to specific groups—with conservative outlets criticizing Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Harris’ running mate Tim Walz accusing Republicans of pandering when he made a certain statement.
resonate
Merriam-Webster believes the word “resonate,” defined as “to affect or appeal to someone personally or emotionally,” saw increased searches due to its frequent use in AI-generated text. The publisher also noted the word’s frequent appearance in news stories about political stances influencing voters.
allision
The word “allision” gained prominence following a ship’s collision with Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March, resulting in six worker fatalities. While many news sources used “collision”—which Merriam-Webster states, “according to some traditional definitions, refers only to contact between two moving objects”—maritime publications preferred “allision,” defined as “a ship striking a stationary object.”
weird
“Weird” was a prevalent term across the political spectrum during this presidential election. Minnesota Gov. Walz gained national attention by consistently labeling Republicans and their platform as “weird,” while Republicans readily used the adjective (defined as “of strange or extraordinary character”) to describe Democrats. “Weird seemed directed at the policies, appearance, and behavior of opposing candidates,” noted Merriam-Webster.
cognitive
Similar to other words on the list, “cognitive”—meaning “of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering)”—saw a “significant” increase in searches this year, according to Merriam-Webster, due to its relevance to the presidential election. President Joe Biden faced scrutiny regarding his “cognitive ability,” as did Trump. Post-election, Merriam-Webster observed that “cognitive dissonance” (referring to “psychological conflict from incongruous beliefs and attitudes”) “appeared in discussions” about the election results, but without further elaboration.
democracy
The word, defined as “government by the people,” experienced a surge in lookups throughout 2024 “across both red and blue states,” according to Merriam-Webster, “as people sought to fully understand its meaning.” In a year best characterized by “polarization,” the dictionary publisher aptly revisited its inaugural 2003 Word of the Year. “The word democracy is absent from the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution,” Merriam-Webster concluded, “but it has long been a focus of American and global attention, rarely more so than now.”