'Post-Truth' Is Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year for 2016

The dictionary publisher defined post-truth as "relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping ... IE11isnotsupported.Foranoptimalexperiencevisitoursiteonanotherbrowser.SKIPTOCONTENTPoliticsCovid-19U.S.NewsWorldOpinionBusinessSharethis —SearchFacebookTwitterEmailSMSPrintWhatsappRedditPocketFlipboardPinterestLinkedinManageProfileEmailPreferencesSignOutAPNov.17,2016,3:15AMUTC / Updated Nov.17,2016,3:16AMUTCByAlexJohnsonThisishowserious2016hasbeen:AyearafteritpickedanemojiasitsWordoftheYearfor2015,OxfordDictionariesonWednesdaysaid2016wasbestcharacterizedbyawordthatquestionstheconceptoffactsthemselves:post-truth.Thedictionarypublisherdefinedpost-truthas"relatingtoordenotingcircumstancesinwhichobjectivefactsarelessinfluentialinshapingpublicopinionthanappealstoemotionandpersonalbelief."It'sessentiallyarefinementoftruthiness,StephenColbert's2005coinage,whichwastheAmericanDialectSociety'sWordoftheYear11yearsago:"thequalityofpreferringconceptsorfactsonewishestobetrue,ratherthanconceptsorfactsknowntobetrue."APOxfordDictionariessaiditrecordedaspikeintheuseofpost-truththisyear"inthecontextoftheEUreferendumintheUnitedKingdomandthepresidentialelectionintheUnitedStates."Theselectionisasharpdeparturefromtheusuallylightheartedpicksthepublisherhasmadeinthepast.Justlastyear,itselectedtheemojirepresenting"cryingwithlaughter";in2014,itwasvape.PreviousselectionsincludeGIF,refudiateandunfriend."It'snotsurprisingthatourchoicereflectsayeardominatedbyhighlychargedpoliticalandsocialdiscourse,"CasperGrathwohl,OxfordDictionaries'president,saidinanessayonthecompany'swebsite,whichcited"theriseofsocialmediaasanewssourceandagrowingdistrustoffactsofferedupbytheestablishment."Thepublishersaidinavideoexplainingitsselectionthatpost-truthwilllikelyhavealongshelflife,becauseitdescribes"ageneralcharacteristicofourage."Post-truthwaschosenovernineotherfinalists(definitionsbyOxfordDictionaries):adulting,n.[massnoun]informal:thepracticeofbehavinginawaycharacteristicofaresponsibleadult,especiallytheaccomplishmentofmundanebutnecessarytasks.alt-right,n.(U.S.):anideologicalgroupingassociatedwithextremeconservativeorreactionaryviewpoints,characterizedbyarejectionofmainstreampoliticsandbytheuseofonlinemediatodisseminatedeliberatelycontroversialcontent.Brexiteer,n.(British)informal:apersonwhoisinfavoroftheUnitedKingdomwithdrawingfromtheEuropeanUnion.chatbot,n.:acomputerprogramdesignedtosimulateconversationwithhumanusers,especiallyovertheInternet.coulrophobia,n.[massnoun]rare:extremeorirrationalfearofclowns.glasscliff,n.:usedwithreferencetoasituationinwhichawomanormemberofaminoritygroupascendstoaleadershippositioninchallengingcircumstanceswheretheriskoffailureishigh.hygge,n.[massnoun]:aqualityofcozinessandcomfortableconvivialitythatengendersafeelingofcontentmentorwell-being(regardedasadefiningcharacteristicofDanishculture).Latinx,n.(pluralLatinxsorsame)andadj.:apersonofLatinAmericanoriginordescent(usedasagender-neutralornon-binaryalternativetoLatinoorLatina);relatingtopeopleofLatinAmericanoriginordescent(usedasagender-neutralornon-binaryalternativetoLatinoorLatina).woke,adj.(woker,wokest)(U.S.)informal:alerttoinjusticeinsociety,especiallyracism.AlexJohnsonAlexJohnsonisareporterandeditorforNBCNewsbasedinLosAngeles.