Word of the Year

You've heard of book of the year, movie of the year, yada, yada . . . but have you ever heard of word of the year? Yeah, I thought not. I hadn't either.

But there actually is one. Every year the folks at Oxford Dictionary choose to shine the spotlight on one relevant word for the year, and they've just announced the 2016 winner. Drum roll, please . . .

The word is: 

post-truth

Relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.

Usually this word is associated with politics. I know, right? That's a no-brainer. Actually, though, the concept has been in existence for the past decade. It's only recently become a buzzword, and that's why it was chosen (a spike in frequency)

Some of the other words that were nominated but didn't win were: 

adulting

The process of taking on the responsibilities of an adult

glass cliff

A situation in which a woman or member of a minority group ascends to a leadership position in challenging circumstances where the risk of failure is high. 

chatbot

A computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet.

coulrophobia

The fear of clowns.

brexiteer

A person who is in favor of the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Union.

Which word would you have chosen?