{"id":891,"date":"2024-12-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/?p=891"},"modified":"2024-12-28T13:12:30","modified_gmt":"2024-12-28T18:12:30","slug":"2024-words-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/2024\/12\/28\/2024-words-of-the-year\/","title":{"rendered":"2024 Words of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As the year winds down, dictionaries in the U.S. have been busy unveiling their Word of the Year for 2024. Let\u2019s take a look at the English words that made it to the top of the word pack in 2024. (We\u2019ll introduce the Japanese Word of the Year winners in a separate blog post.)   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First up is the Oxford Word of the Year 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

brain rot<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brain rot (noun), as defined by Oxford, is: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSupposed deterioration of a person\u2019s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as a result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oxford explains its decision as follows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur experts noticed that \u2018brain rot\u2019 gained new prominence this year as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media. The term increased in usage frequency by 230% between 2023 and 2024.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, brain rot is not actually a term coined in the digital age. According to Oxford, \u201cThe first recorded use of \u2018brain rot\u2019 was found in 1854 in Henry David Thoreau\u2019s book\u202fWalden<\/em>, but has taken on new significance as an expression in the digital age.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/corp.oup.com\/word-of-the-year\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next up is Merriam-Webster\u2019s 2024 Word of the Year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polarization <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merriam-Webster defines polarization (noun) as follows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDivision into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Merriam-Webster\u2019s choice reflects the current political environment in the United States, but the word polarization was first used to describe the polarization of light in the early 1800s. This original meaning refers to filtering light so that it can only travel in a single plane. Polarized sunglasses, for example, filter out horizontal light and allow only vertical light to pass through. This reduces glare, which is why polarized sunglasses are often worn for outdoor pursuits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/wordplay\/word-of-the-year<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Cambridge Dictionary chose manifest<\/strong> for its Word of the Year 2024.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It defines manifest (the verb) as \u201cto use methods such as visualization and affirmation to help you imagine achieving something you want, in the belief that doing so will make it more likely to happen.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This meaning is newer than the more established meanings of the verb manifest, which are \u201cto show something clearly, through signs or actions\u201d and \u201cto appear or become clear.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cambridge Dictionary further explains the new meaning of manifest as follows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen famous performers, star athletes, and influential entrepreneurs claim they have achieved something because they manifested<\/em> it, they are using this verb in a more recent sense: to use specific practices to focus your mind on something you want, to try to make it become a reality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The use of this sense of manifest<\/em> has gained in popularity with the increasing number of \u2018manifesting influencers\u2019 promoting this scientifically unproven practice on social media\u2014so much so that it was added to the Cambridge Dictionary in May of 2023.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/editorial\/word-of-the-year<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The folks at Collins Dictionary named yet another word as the Collins Word of the Year 2024.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

brat<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not the traditional meaning of the word brat, which Collins defines as \u201can impudent, unruly child\u201d or \u201can annoying, spoiled, or impolite child.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new 2024 definition of \u201cbrat\u201d is, according to Collins, \u201ccharacterized by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.\u201d Collins explains its choice for Word of the Year 2024 as follows.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInspired by the Charli XCX album, \u2018brat\u2019 has become one of the most talked about words of 2024. More than a hugely successful album, \u2018brat\u2019 is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally, and \u2018brat summer\u2019 established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.collinsdictionary.com\/us\/woty#google_vignette<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As brain rot<\/em> and the new meanings of manifest<\/em> and brat<\/em> show, many of the Word of the Year choices come from online slang and pop culture trends. Are you familiar with the meaning and current usage of the 2024 word winners? Have you used or come across these words in your work? Do you think these words will stand the test of time? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Author: Syra Morii
Edited by: Audra Lincoln<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the year winds down, dictionaries in the U.S. have been busy unveiling their Word of the Year for 2024. Let\u2019s take a look at the English words that made it to the top of the word pack in 2024. (We\u2019ll introduce the Japanese Word of the Year winners in a separate blog post.)    […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=891"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":935,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/891\/revisions\/935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ata-divisions.org\/JLD\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}