Oxford Dictionary Names Multiple 'Words of an Unprecedented Year’.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has announced the expansion of its traditional “Word of the Year” for 2020.
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In their report, titled “Words of an Unprecedented Year,” the OED said it was apparent that 2020 cannot be “neatly accommodated” in a single word.
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Instead, the OED decided to detail the most important words throughout the year based on spikes in use.
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In January, “bushfire” was the most important word as it was when Australia suffered its worst fire season on record.
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In February, the word “acquittal” shot to the top since U.S. President Donald Trump was found not guilty in his impeachment trial.
From March onward, terms such as “COVID-19,” “lockdown,” “social distancing” and “reopening” dominated our vocabularies.
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In June, “cancel culture,” “BIPOC” and “Black Lives Matter” grew as protests raged across the world.
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“Mail-in” was considered one of the words of the month in August, referencing U.S. mail-in voting for the presidential election.
“Superspreader” was highlighted in October after a cluster of COVID-19 cases emerged in the White House.