"Woman" named Dictionary.com's 2022 Word of the Year
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Woman has been named Dictionary.com's 2022 Word of the Year. Dictionary.com, the leading online and mobile English-language educational resource, made the announcement on Tuesday.
The word woman is defined as "an adult female person." It was selected as the Word of the Year based on search data, language trends and major cultural themes of the year.
"Woman" received double the typical annual search volume and surged during several key events this year. In 2022 we saw the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, equal pay settlement for U.S. Women's Soccer, the retirement of star tennis player Serena Williams, women-led protests in Iran and historic midterm elections.
"This year, the very matter of the definition of the word 'woman' was at the center of so many consequential moments, discussions, and decisions in our society," John Kelly, Senior Director of Editorial at Dictionary.com, said. "Our selection of 'woman' as the Word of the Year for 2022—and how the word is defined, who is included in that definition, who the word applies and belongs to—highlights how important the work of a dictionary is, and how dictionaries can impact people's lives."
Visit Dictionary.com for more on the Word of the Year selection.