Merriam-Webster Names 2016 Word Of The Year

(CBS) - It's been an odd year, and the new Merriam-Webster Word of the Year certainly reflects that.

"Surreal" was the winner for this year's honor. The company said in a statement the word is "often looked up spontaneously in moments of both tragedy and surprise, whether or not it is used in speech or writing."

The dictionary company says via CBS News three distinct events led to an uptick in the word's popularity: The Brussels terror attacks in March, the failed Turkish coup in July, and the presidential election in November.

"We often search for just the right word to help us bring order to abstract thoughts, emotions, or reactions," the company said in a statement. "Surreal seems to be, for 2016, such a word."

Among the contenders for the "Word of the Year" honor were "Revenant," "icon," "In Omnia Paratus," "bigly," "deplorable," "irregardless," "assumpsit," "Faute de Mieux," and "feckless."

The Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year was "post-truth," and dictionary.com chose "xenophobia."