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”.
Permacrisis tops a list of 10 words, six of them new entries in the dictionary, which represent 2022, Collins said.
“Partygate” refers to the scandal of social gatherings in Downing Street during the pandemic, contravening public health rules and contrasting markedly with most people’s sense of isolation and loss.
“Kyiv” made the list after the name of the Ukrainian capital came to symbolise the country’s stand against Russian aggression.
“Warm bank” describes a building such as a public library or place of worship that is opening its doors over the winter months to provide a welcoming space for people struggling to heat their homes due to spiralling energy costs.
The growing practice of “quiet quitting” – doing basic duties at work but no more, in rejection of competitive careerism and out-of-hours emails – made the cut, as did “vibe shift”, meaning a “significant change in the prevailing atmosphere or culture”.
“Carolean” refers to the new monarchical era after the end of the second Elizabethan age this year and the accession of King Charles. “Lawfare” is the strategic use of legal proceedings to intimidate or hinder an opponent.
Humankind’s four-legged friends contributed the term “splooting” – the act of lying flat on the stomach on a cool surface with legs stretched out as a way of countering unusually high temperatures. Cats, dogs, cows, polar bears and squirrels have been spotted splooting on social media throughout 2022.
The final word is “sportswashing”, a term for organisations and countries that use sports activities to enhance their reputations or distract from unacceptable policies. Qatar, the host of the 2022 football World Cup starting this month, has been accused of sportswashing after concerns over the mistreatment of migrant labour, homophobia and freedom of expression.
The list reflected “the state of the world right now”, said Alex Beecroft, the managing director of Collins Learning.
“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.
“It is understandable that people may feel, after living through upheaval caused by Brexit, the pandemic, severe weather, the war in Ukraine, political instability, the energy squeeze and the cost-of-living crisis, that we are living in an ongoing state of uncertainty and worry.”
Collins Dictionary monitors its 18bn-word database and a range of media sources, including social media, to create an annual list of new and notable words.
