And no, it’s not ‘covfefe’.
Care to guess what it might be? If we told you it was actually two words, instead of one, surely you don’t need any more hints?
That’s right, ‘fake news’ has been revealed as the Collins Dictionary word of the year for 2017, having seen an unprecedented usage increase of 365% since 2016.
Given that it’s used almost daily and definitely weekly by the leader of the free world, we’re placing sole responsibility at the door of Donald Trump for this accolade, one, no doubt, that will encourage him to use it more frequently than ever before.
As defined by Collins, ‘fake news’ means “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”, although it’s fair to say that this definition doesn’t always apply to Trump’s use of the term.
You can see the other contenders for the 2017 word of the year and their definitions below, but, given the year that was in it, they never really stood a chance.
Antifa
noun: (1) a antifascist organisation (2) a member of a antifascist organisation adjective: (3) involving, belonging to, or relating to a antifascist organisation
Corbynmania
noun: fervent enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the UK Labour Party
Cuffing season
noun: the period of autumn and winter, when single people are considered likely to seek settled relationships rather than engage in casual affairs
Echo chamber
noun: an environment, especially on a social media site, in which any statement of opinion is likely to be greeted with approval because it will only be read or heard by people who hold similar views
Fidget spinner
noun: a small toy comprising two or three prongs arranged around a central bearing, designed to be spun by the fingers as means of improving concentration or relieving stress
Gender-fluid
adjective: not identifying exclusively with one gender rather than another
Gig economy
noun: an economy in which there are few permanent employees and most jobs are assigned to temporary or freelance workers
Insta
adjective: of or relating to the photo-sharing application Instagram
Unicorn
noun: (1) an imaginary creature depicted as a white horse with one long spiralled horn growing from its forehead, regarded as symbol of innocence and purity (2) a recently launched business enterprise that is valued at more than one billion dollars
