Following a contentious presidential election, Merriam-Webster has chosen its word of the year for 2024: “polarization.” The American dictionary publisher announced its selection today, defining the term as “division into two sharply distinct opposites.

With less than a month left until January, Merriam-Webster has chosen its 2024 Word of the Year, one that has often defined the political landscape of the United States and its candidates. The word, the book company reported,

The dictionary publisher said Americans from competing tribes looked up the definition to better understand divided politics at home and worldwide.