Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Harriet Sherwood

‘Sums up 2022’: Permacrisis chosen as Collins word of the year

Boris Johnson delivering his final speech outside 10 Downing Street.
Permacrisis tops a list of 10 words, six of them new entries, which Collins says represent 2022 –including Partygate, referring to No 10 lockdown gatherings. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images

Brexit, Covid, war, climate disasters, a tanking economy, political instability, global insecurity, a sense of impending doom. There’s a single word for this, and it has just become Collins Dictionary’s word of the year: permacrisis.

The word is defined as “an extended period of instability and insecurity”, which some may argue is an accurate summary of the past few years. Collins said it chose the word as it “sums up quite succinctly how truly awful 2022 has been for so many people”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.