Oxford's Word of the Year for 2016 Is 'Post-Truth' - Time ...

post-truth: relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to ... Living language Oxford'sWordoftheYearfor2016Is'Post-Truth' Oxford'sWordoftheYearfor2016Is'Post-Truth' By KatySteinmetz November15,20168:07PMEST OxfordDictionarieskickedoff“wordoftheyear”seasonbyanointingtheirpickonTuesday:post-truth.Theword,selectedbyOxford’seditors,doesnotneedtobecoinedinthepastyearbutitdoeshavetocapturetheEnglish-speakingpublic’smoodandpreoccupations.AndthatmakesthisoneanaptchoiceforcountrieslikeAmericaandBritain,wherepeoplelivedthroughdivisive,populistupheavalsthatoftenseemedtoprizepassionaboveallelse—includingfacts. post-truth:relatingtoordenotingcircumstancesinwhichobjectivefactsarelessinfluentialinshapingpublicopinionthanappealstoemotionandpersonalbelief. Theworddatesbacktoatleast1992,butOxfordsawitsusageexplodeby2,000%thisyear,basedontheirongoingmonitoringofhowpeopleareusingEnglish.Oxfordnotesthatthephrasepost-truthpoliticshasenjoyedparticularpopularityoflate.“It’snotsurprisingthatourchoicereflectsayeardominatedbyhighly-chargedpoliticalandsocialdiscourse,”saidCasperGrathwohl,presidentofOxfordDictionaries.“Fueledbytheriseofsocialmediaasanewssourceandagrowingdistrustoffactsofferedupbytheestablishment,post-truthasaconcepthasbeenfindingitslinguisticfootingforsometime.”And,hesuggests,itmaybecomeadefiningwordofourtime. Theselectionisarathersomberfollow-uptolastyear’schoice—😂—anemojisheddingtearsofjoythatreflectedpeople’splayfulnessinembracingchanginglanguagemorethantheirpainsinweatheringchangingpolitics.Althoughtheshortlistcontainssomelight-heartedconcepts,ittooreflectsabigtruthabout2016:ithasbeenahardyearfullofsoul-searchingandseparation,markedbytransitionandlinesbetweenselfandother.TheShortListadultingnoun,informal:Thepracticeofbehavinginawaycharacteristicofaresponsibleadult,especiallytheaccomplishmentofmundanebutnecessarytasks.(See:moreonwhymillennialshaveembracedtheterm.)alt-rightnoun:Anideologicalgroupingassociatedwithextremeconservativeorreactionaryviewpoints,characterizedbyarejectionofmainstreampoliticsandbytheuseofonlinemediatodisseminatedeliberatelycontroversialcontent.(See:TIME’scoveronInternettrolling.)Brexiteernoun,informal:ApersonwhoisinfavoroftheUnitedKingdomwithdrawingfromtheEuropeanUnion.(See:hownewsoutletsaroundtheworldcoveredthatstory.)chatbotnoun:Acomputerprogramdesignedtosimulateconversationwithhumanusers,especiallyovertheInternet.(See:anexplanationonwhythesearetakingoverallthethings.)coulrophobianoun:Extremeorirrationalfearofclowns(See:whatanoddOctoberdiversionthe“clowncraze”was.)glasscliffnoun:Usedwithreferencetoasituationinwhichawomanormemberofaminoritygroupascendstoaleadershippositioninchallengingcircumstanceswheretheriskoffailureishigh.(See:theplightsofwomenwhoriseinpolitics.)hyggenoun:Aqualityofcosinessandcomfortableconvivialitythatengendersafeelingofcontentmentorwell-being,regardedasadefiningcharacteristicofDanishculture.(See:howpopulartheideahasbecomeinBritishculture.)Latinxnoun:ApersonofLatinAmericanoriginordescent,usedasagender-neutralornon-binaryalternativetoLatinoorLatina.(See:theriseofnon-binaryidentities.)wokeadjective,USinformal:[originallyinAfrican-Americanusage]Alerttoinjusticeinsociety,especiallyracism.(See:amust-readonwhatyoushouldconsiderbeforeusingtheterm.) MoreMust-ReadStoriesFromTIME TIME'sTop100Photosof2021 InsideFrancesHaugen'sDecisiontoTakeonFacebook WhyWeShouldStopFreakingOutAboutInflation Austria'sPlantoMakeCOVID-19VaccinesCompulsoryIsDividingCitizens—andExperts Insidethe80-YearQuesttoNamePearlHarbor'sUnknownVictims BuyingaHouseFeelsImpossibleTheseDays.HereAre6InnovativePathstoHomeownership 'They'reVeryClose.'U.S.GeneralSaysIranIsNearlyAbletoBuildaNuclearWeapon ACharterSchool'sRacialControversyRevealstheRealBattleForAmerica'sClassrooms SubscribetoTIME [email protected]. SHARETHISSTORY ReadMoreFromTIME YouMayAlsoLike ReadNext WhattheWordsUsedtoDescribeClintonandTrumpSupportersReallyMean NextUp:Editor'sPick WhatAmerica'sRichestSkiTown'sHandlingofCOVID-19Shows EDITPOST Youhavereachedyourlimitof4freearticles. Loading... Paywall-Icons-DevicesUnlimitedaccesstoTIME.com Paywall-Icons-NewsletterInsideTIMEnewsletter,twiceweekly Paywall-Icons-DigitalMagazineAccesstotheTIMEDigitalMagazine SubscribeNow Alreadyaprintsubscriber? Goheretolinkyoursubscription. Needhelp? VisitourHelpCenter. PurchasedTIMEPieces? Goheretoconnectyourwallet. SubscribeNow