"Existential" is Dictionary.com's word of the year

At first blush, Dictionary.com’s 2019 word of the year seems to be following the doom-and-gloom theme set by other dictionaries’ picks.

But its editors insist that there’s a silver lining to having “existential” sum up the year.

In its first sense — “of or relating to existence” — it’s often used in conjunction with a threat or crisis.

But in its second — “concerned with the nature of human existence as determined by the individual’s freely made choices” — it reminds us that we have agency and can change things for the better.

Read more about what prompted Dictionary.com to choose “existential” for the word of the year on its blog.

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