A word describing what it feels like to live amidst a war, inflation, and political instability has been chosen as the Collins Dictionary word of the year. Permacrisis crowned by the dictionary reflects what a turbulent year 2022 has been.
Managing director of Collins Learning, Alex Beecroft, aptly said that the word “sums up quite succinctly how truly awful 2022 has been for so many people”. The word was part of Collin's annual list which compiles 10 phrases or which "reflect our ever-evolving language and the preoccupations of those who use it".
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Other words among the list were phrases such as 'Partygate' in reference to the scandal regarding members of the British government flouting lockdown rules and 'Warm bank' which is a place where people who cannot afford to heat their own homes go in light of the recent rise in the cost of living.
Speaking about the list Alex Beecroft added: "Language can be a mirror to what is going on in society and the wider world, and this year has thrown up challenge after challenge."
Take a look at the list of this year's top 10 words and phrases and their definitions:
Carolean: Of or relating to Charles III of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or his reign.
Kyiv: The capital of Ukraine, on the Dnipro River.
Lawfare: The strategic use of legal proceedings to intimidate or hinder an opponent.
Partygate: A political scandal over social gatherings held in British government offices during 2020 and 2021 in defiance of the public health restrictions that prevailed at the time.
Permacrisis: An extended period of instability and insecurity, especially one resulting from a series of catastrophic events.
Quiet quitting: The practice of doing no more work than one is contractually obliged to do, especially in order to spend more time on personal activities; the practice of doing little or no work while being present at one's place of employment.
Splooting: The act of lying flat on the stomach with the legs stretched out.
Sportswashing: The sponsorship or promotion of sporting events in order to enhance a tarnished reputation or distract attention from a controversial activity.
Vibe shift: A significant change in a prevailing cultural atmosphere or trend.
Warm bank: A heated building where people who cannot afford to heat their own homes may go.
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