The results of the rattled the country and sent shockwaves across the world 香蕉视频直播� or were cause for celebration, depending on who you ask. Is it any surprise then that the is 香蕉视频直播減olarization香蕉视频直播�?

香蕉视频直播淧olarization means division, but it香蕉视频直播檚 a very specific kind of division,香蕉视频直播� said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster香蕉视频直播檚 editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday香蕉视频直播檚 announcement. 香蕉视频直播淧olarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.香蕉视频直播�

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 Trump香蕉视频直播檚 views 香蕉视频直播� but not Harris香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� were too extreme, while about 7 in 10 Trump voters felt the same way about Harris 香蕉视频直播� but not Trump.

The reflects scientific and metaphorical definitions. It香蕉视频直播檚 most commonly used to mean 香蕉视频直播渃ausing strong disagreement between opposing factions or groupings.香蕉视频直播� 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 year香蕉视频直播檚 This year香蕉视频直播檚 comes as large swaths of the U.S. struggle to reach consensus on what is real.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 always been important to me that the dictionary serve as a kind of neutral and objective arbiter of meaning for everybody,香蕉视频直播� Sokolowski said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a kind of backstop for meaning in an era of fake news, alternative facts, whatever you want to say about the value of a word香蕉视频直播檚 meaning in the culture.香蕉视频直播�

It香蕉视频直播檚 notable that 香蕉视频直播減olarization香蕉视频直播� originated in the early 1800s 香蕉视频直播� and not during the Renaissance, as did most words with Latin roots about science, Sokolowski said. He called it a 香蕉视频直播減retty young word,香蕉视频直播� in the scheme of the English language. 香蕉视频直播淧olarized is a term that brings intensity to another word,香蕉视频直播� he continued, most frequently used in the U.S. to describe race relations, politics and ideology.

香蕉视频直播淭he basic job of the dictionary is to tell the truth about words,香蕉视频直播� the Merriam-Webster editor continued. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e had dictionaries of English for 420 years and it香蕉视频直播檚 only been in the last 20 years or so that we香蕉视频直播檝e actually known which words people look up.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淧olarization香蕉视频直播� extends beyond political connotations. It香蕉视频直播檚 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 Committee香蕉视频直播檚 decision to strip American after the Paris Games? You guessed it: polarizing.

Even lighthearted memes 香蕉视频直播� like those making fun of Australian breakdancer Rachael 香蕉视频直播淩aygun香蕉视频直播� Gunn香蕉视频直播檚 performance 香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 used by both sides,香蕉视频直播� he said, 香蕉视频直播渁nd in a little bit ironic twist to the word, it香蕉视频直播檚 something that actually everyone agrees on.香蕉视频直播�

Rounding out Merriam-Webster香蕉视频直播檚 top 10 words of 2024:

Demure

describing her workday makeup routine as 香蕉视频直播渧ery , very mindful香蕉视频直播� lit up the summer with memes. The video has been viewed , yielding 香蕉视频直播渉uge spikes香蕉视频直播� in lookups, Sokolowski said, and prompting many to learn it means reserved or modest.

Fortnight

song 香蕉视频直播淔ortnight,香蕉视频直播� featuring rapper Post Malone, undoubtedly spurred many searches for , which means two weeks. 香蕉视频直播淢usic can still send people to the dictionary,香蕉视频直播� Sokolowski said.

Totality

The inspired awe and much travel. There are tens of millions of people who live along a narrow stretch from Mexico香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播� or wholeness.

Resonate

香蕉视频直播淭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, 香蕉视频直播渁lso betrays itself to be a robot because it香蕉视频直播檚 using that word too much.香蕉视频直播�

Allision

The often than usual when, in March, a ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. 香蕉视频直播淲hen you have one moving object into a fixed object, that香蕉视频直播檚 an allision, not a collision. You香蕉视频直播檙e showing that one of the two objects struck was not, in fact, in motion,香蕉视频直播� Sokolowski said.

Weird

This summer on the TV news show 香蕉视频直播淢orning Joe,香蕉视频直播� Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called Republican leaders It may have been landing him as the Democratic vice presidential nominee. Though it香蕉视频直播檚 a word that people typically misspell 香蕉视频直播� is it 香蕉视频直播渆i香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播渋e香蕉视频直播�? 香蕉视频直播� and search for that reason, its rise in use was notable, Sokolowski said.

Cognitive

Whether was used to raise questions about President Joe Biden香蕉视频直播檚 debate performance or Trump香蕉视频直播檚 own age, it cropped up often. It refers to conscious intellectual activity 香蕉视频直播� such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering.

Pander

was used widely in political commentary, Sokolowski said. 香蕉视频直播淐onservative news outlets accused Kamala Harris of pandering to different groups, especially young voters, Black voters, gun rights supporters.香蕉视频直播� Whereas Walz said Trump香蕉视频直播檚 visit to a McDonald香蕉视频直播檚 kitchen pandered to hourly wage workers. It means to say, do, or provide what someone 香蕉视频直播� such as an audience 香蕉视频直播� wants or demands even though it is not 香蕉视频直播済ood, proper, reasonable, etc.香蕉视频直播�

Democracy

In 2003, Merriam-Webster decided to make 香蕉视频直播渄emocracy香蕉视频直播� its first word of the year. Since then, the 香蕉视频直播� which, of course, means a form of government in which the people elect representatives to make decisions, policies and laws 香蕉视频直播� is consistently one of the dictionary香蕉视频直播檚 most looked up. 香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 a poignancy to that, that people are checking up on it,香蕉视频直播� Sokolowski said. 香蕉视频直播淢aybe the most hopeful thing that the curiosity of the public shows, is that they香蕉视频直播檙e paying attention.香蕉视频直播�