Merriam-Webster dictionary nailed it with their 2024 Word of the Year selection that accurately defined the divisive reaction to the 2024 presidential election results.
The dictionary's account on X (formerly Twitter) declared this year's Word of the Year was, "Polarization," and joked:
"About half of you might take issue with this."
The not-so-subtle decision reflected the evenly split political divide among Americans that resulted in confusion and lots of finger-pointing in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump's victory for a White House comeback.
Merriam-Webster defines polarization 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.”
This year, the word was invoked in various media headlines from diametrically opposed political perspectives.
Conservative Fox News reported that “Vance's debate answer on immigration crisis shows voter polarization," while more liberal cable news channels like MSNBC stated, “The 2024 presidential election has left our country more polarized than ever," according to Merriam-Webster.
The use of polarization wasn't limited to describing division exclusively in the world of politics.
For instance, Forbes observed that “cultural polarization" was "becoming a pressing challenge" in the workplace. In pop culture, the word was used in reference to the public's split opinions regarding Taylor Swift's use of her private jet.
The dictionary's editor at large, Peter Sokolowski, told the Associated Press:
“Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division."
“Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center.”
Merriam-Webster selects the Word of the Year based on the frequency of word search and usage on its website, which attracts roughly 100 million pageviews per month.
Sokolowski added:
“It’s always been important to me that the dictionary serve as a kind of neutral and objective arbiter of meaning for everybody."
“It’s 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’s meaning in the culture.”
The internet agreed that half of us were wholly on board with the year's word choice.
‘Polarization’ is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year: ‘Something everyone agrees on’
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— The Guardian (@theguardian.com) December 9, 2024 at 1:10 PM
Sad but true.
— tfodor.bsky.social (@tfodor.bsky.social) December 9, 2024 at 10:01 AM
Polarization & brain rot. Yeah. That defines this year a lot. Disinformation too, though.
— Oeishik (@oeishik.bsky.social) December 9, 2024 at 4:16 AM
The other half weighed in.
It should have been "fascism" but y'all are too gutless to ever say it...
— Darek (@darekb.bsky.social) December 9, 2024 at 6:10 AM
It's how the Two-Party Dictatorship maintains it's death grip on American Politics
— Kris Weinschenker (@krisweinschenker.bsky.social) December 9, 2024 at 5:19 AM
It's time for a 3+ Party system....2 parties, or more accurately 1 Party and 1 Cult is never going to deliver a functioning government, of the people for the people.
— MdWTH (@md-wth.bsky.social) December 9, 2024 at 4:33 AM
No Merriam-Webster "Polarization" is too simple. Everything is polarising even when the world was stable. I choose: Myopia That's the theme of 2024 in a word.
— TacTwo (@tactwo.bsky.social) December 9, 2024 at 1:48 PM
Excellent choice! Except 2025 may say “hold my beer!”
— Lisa Linkowsky (@lisalinkowsky.bsky.social) December 9, 2024 at 1:17 PM
Honorable mentions for 2024 Word of the Year included "demure," "totality," "allision," and "weird."
@winnieharlow/Instagram
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
