Protestors face off outside the Supreme Court after a draft opinion stating the intention to overturnRoe v. Wadewas leaked.Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Dictionary.comhas selected the word “woman” as itsWord of the Yearfor 2022, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal.
Selecting “woman” as our Word of the Year, he says, “provides an acknowledgement of the gravity of the various events affecting women in 2022.”
“From our perspective as observers and recorders of language change, the word ‘woman’ is a prime example of the many gender terms undergoing shifts in how and to whom they’re applied.” Kelly tells PEOPLE.
“Our selection of ‘woman’ as our 2022 Word of the Year reflects how gender, identity, and language are shaping our current cultural conversation — and how it shapes much of our work as a dictionary,” he adds.
Counter-protestors gather to support transgender swimmer Lia Thomas at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 17th, 2022.Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty
To select the Word of the Year, Kelly tells PEOPLE a word must see “a significant increase in searches” in the last year and “capture the major cultural themes and trends in language that helped define” that time.
Though selecting a word can be difficult, Kelly tells PEOPLE that this year’s selection process was actually “easy.” In fact, he says it was “the swiftest and most decisive” selection since the tradition began.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
And it’s easy to understand why. Women have been at the forefront of some of the year’s biggest stories and headlines, both in the United States and across the globe.
Searches reached their highest point — more than 1,400% above normal — when Supreme Court JusticeKetanji Brown Jacksonwas asked about the definition of a woman during a confirmation hearing in March, according to Tuesday’s press release.
“The prominence of the question and the attention it received demonstrate how issues of transgender identity and rights are now frequently at the forefront of our national discourse,” Kelly tells PEOPLE.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty
Major news in women’s sports — including the"likely" retirementofSerena Williams, the settlement reached in the U.S. women’s national soccer team’sequal pay lawsuit, and the detention of WNBA star Brittany Griner in Russia — led to a surge in searches for the word as well.
Women’s rights issues — such as the Supreme Court’s ruling in theDobbs v. Jacksoncase, and the ongoing protests in Iran — have also resulted in additional searches for “woman,” Kelly says.
“From our perspective as a dictionary, it’s a big deal when a word like ‘woman’ rises to the top of our conversations and concerns in our society,” Kelly tells PEOPLE.
Protest over the death of Mahsa Amini in Istanbul, Turkey.Chris McGrath/Getty
“The dictionary is not the last word on what defines a woman,” Kelly explains. “The word belongs to each and every woman — however they define themselves.”
Words that made this year’s shortlist Word of the Year include the Ukraine flag emoji; inflation"; “quiet quitting”; “democracy”; and “Wordle,” which was added to the dictionary in 2022.
source: people.com
