THE Word of the Year campaign is described by Collins Dictionary as ‘a chance to reflect on the words that have defined the last 12 months.’
And the word for 2017 is… Fake news.
Perhaps most strongly associated with US President Donald Trump, ‘fake news’ is a term that’s popped up in the media consistently since Trump ran against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election.
It is finally sinking through. 46% OF PEOPLE BELIEVE MAJOR NATIONAL NEWS ORGS FABRICATE STORIES ABOUT ME. FAKE NEWS, even worse! Lost cred.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2017
The word has seen an usage increase of 365% since 2016.
As defined by Collins, ‘fake news’ means “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting”.
Shortlisted words of the year include unicorn, gig economy, echo chamber and cuffing season.
The 2016 winner was Brexit, while binge-watch took the title in 2015.
The above sketch was written, produced and performed by The Free Association in partnership with Collins www.thefreeassociation.co.uk / @FAimprov
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