Dictionary picks surprising word that explains America's split after 2024 election
US presidential election outcome in 2024 led to a perfect timing for Merriam-Websterʼs word choice. The selected term reflects growing gaps between different sides of society
The recent US presidential election showed how deep Americas divisions run with people either cheering or worrying about the results (depending on their political views)
Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center
The well-known dictionary company Merriam-Webster picked “polarization“ as its word-of-the-year: a choice that matches the post-election mood in the country. Sokolowski explained in a pre-announcement talk that polarization isnt just about disagreement — its about moving far from middle ground
The timing of this word-pick connects to the early-December announcement which came right after one of the most split-causing elections in US history. The dictionaryʼs choice shows how language reflects real-world events and social changes that shape our day-to-day lives
