The Economist’s Word Of The Year: “Kakistocracy”

The Washington Post reports:

Oxford’s 2024 Word of the Year is more than a century old, but that doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly relevant in 2024. The winner, announced on Monday by the University of Oxford, was “brain rot” — a term that describes the overconsumption of material or content to the point that it deteriorates one’s mental state.

The folks at Dictionary.com chose a word that crossed over from the internet to real life for its word of the year in “demure” — a term was popularized on TikTok when creator Jools Lebron used the phrase “very demure, very mindful” as she offered advice to people on how to be considerate and respectful in different situations.

Some other word of the year choices have had fewer ties to the internet. Cambridge Dictionary picked “manifest,” (obtaining what you desire) while the Economist tapped “kakistocracy” (a government ruled by the worst people) for their picks.

Read the full article.

Had Kamala Harris won America’s presidential election, we would have had a different shortlist.

Instead, our choice for word of the year snappily encapsulates the fears of half of America and much of the world https://t.co/bYsYEl0hPk 👇

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) November 30, 2024