Oxford Dictionary Names Multiple 'Words of an Unprecedented Year’

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.