Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is one that the dictionary suggests unifies both sides of the aisle. The dictionary publisher said Monday that “polarization” is its 2024 word of the year, defining it as “division into two sharply distinct opposites;

A word that has been used incessantly to describe the fraught state of American politics and society is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year. That word is “polarization.” Defined as a “division into two sharply distinct opposites,

The famous American dictionary publisher on Monday announced that “polarization”—defined 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”—is its Word of the Year for 2024.

Merriam-Webster's word of the year and list of other top-searched words were influenced by politics, Taylor Swift, TikTok and ChatGPT.

The Merriam-Webster entry for “polarization” reflects scientific and metaphorical definitions. It’s most commonly used to mean “causing strong disagreement between opposing factions or

The results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election rattled the country and sent shockwaves across the world — or were cause for celebration, depending on who you ask. Is it any surprise then that the Merriam-Webster word of the year is “polarization”?

In 2003, Merriam-Webster decided to make “democracy” its first word of the year. Since then, the word — which, of course, means a form of government in which the people elect representatives to make decisions, policies and laws — is consistently one of the dictionary’s most looked up.

Merriam-Webster has chosen “polarization” as its Word of the Year for 2024. This selection comes on the heels of a highly contested U.S. presidential election, which captured global attention. Merriam-Webster.