Question: What would be best word for 2017?

Groups select ‘youthquake,’ ‘feminism,’ ‘complicit’

Every year, different organizations release their annual “Word of the Year,” and it’s always interesting to check out those words and see how they differ.

For example, Oxford Dictionaries says the word of 2017 is “youthquake.”

Merriam-Webster, meanwhile, selected “feminism,” while Dictionary.com went with “complicit.”

Now, we should note that each organization uses different criteria when making their selection, so it’s not an apples to apples comparison.

Oxford, for example, “tracks how the English language is changing and chooses a word that reflects the annual mood,” according to the Associated Press.

Merriam-Webster, on the other hand, selected “feminism” after a 70 percent increase in lookups for the word on its website in 2017. Given the #MeToo conversations and high-profile incidents, we can understand how “feminism” is in the spotlight.

And Dictionary.com chose “complicit” after multiple spikes in lookup for the word, which “embodies a major theme resonating deeply in the cultural consciousness,” according to the site. And interesting sidenote — complicit was a runner up for Merriam-Webster as well.

Oxford notes that “youthquake” is defined as “a significant cultural, political or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people.”

According to AP, Oxford says youthquake was the right note to wrap up a divisive year. It’s an unusual choice, and a word that doesn’t have much traction here in America. Who knows though? Perhaps it’s on the verge of popularity.

Of course, that got us thinking about other potential options for one word to sum up 2017.

Merriam-Webster had nine runners-up, which included complicit, recuse, empathy, dotard, syzygy, gyro, federalism, hurricane and gaffe.

Most of the runners-up are interesting options which have made multiple appearances in headlines this year, although gyro? Maybe not so much.

However, if we had to pick a word, it would be this either “divisive” or “partisan.” Both sum up our political climate quite nicely, and have led headlines this year as our politicians continue to bicker in office.

What would you choose, Yuma? Would “youthquake” take the cake, or “complicit” or “feminism?” Or is there another word that stands out for you? Let us know. Share your thoughts online at www.YumaSun.com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@ yumasun.com.