Oxford Dictionary Names Multiple
'Words of an Unprecedented Year’.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has announced the
expansion of its traditional “Word of the Year” for 2020. .
In their report, titled “Words of an
Unprecedented Year,” the OED said it
was apparent that 2020 cannot be “neatly
accommodated” in a single word. .
Instead, the OED decided to detail the most important
words throughout the year based on spikes in use. .
In January, “bushfire” was the most
important word as it was when Australia
suffered its worst fire season on record. .
In February, the word “acquittal” shot to
the top since U.S. President Donald Trump was
found not guilty in his impeachment trial.
From March onward, terms such
as “COVID-19,” “lockdown,”
“social distancing” and “reopening”
dominated our vocabularies. .
In June, “cancel culture,” “BIPOC”
and “Black Lives Matter” grew as
protests raged across the world. .
“Mail-in” was considered one of the words
of the month in August, referencing U.S. mail-in
voting for the presidential election.
“Superspreader” was highlighted
in October after a cluster of
COVID-19 cases emerged
in the White House.