Posted on November 28, 2022 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Merriam-Webster has released its word for the year: "gaslighting."

Unlike in previous years (cough 2020 cough), there wasn't a particular event that seemed to drive interest in the modern definition of the word, reports the Associated Press.

Instead, Merriam-Webster editor at large Peter Sokolowski said, it's become a popular lookup over the past four years — with a 1,740 percent year-over-year spike recorded in 2022.

The dictionary tracks the evolution of "gaslighting" from a 1938 movie about mind games into what we now know it as: "the act or practice of grossly misleading someone, especially for a personal advantage."

In that same post, you can also see the runners-up for 2022's word of the year.

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Categories: Today in Books

Tagged As: Language

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