Merriam-Webster's word of the year is "feminism."
The online dictionary said the word of the year sheds light on topics that sparked the nation's interest and is chosen by measuring which words had a significant increase in lookups compared to years past. This year, the overwhelming winner was the word "feminism," which is defined as the “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activity in support of women’s rights and interests," according to Merriam-Webster.
Searches on Merriam-Webster.com for "feminism" spiked in January, 2017, during the Women's Marches held around the world, and again, when Kellyanne Conway said she didn’t consider herself a feminist in the "classic sense." And the lookups for feminism didn't stop there. Many looked up the term amid the #Metoo movement and as increasing allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct have taken over the news cycle.
