Merriam-Webster’s Word Of The Year 2022 is ‘Gaslighting’
Merriam-Webster has revealed its word of the year for 2022- ‘Gaslighting’
What Is Merriam-Webster’s Word Of The Year?
Gaslighting is the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage
What Is Gaslighting?
The word ‘gaslighting’ saw a 1740% increase in lookups in the year 2022
Spike In Searches For Gaslighting
Gaslighting is a term which originated from the title of a 1938 play and the movie based on that play Gas Light. The plot involves a man attempting to make his wife believe that she is going insane
Origin Of The Term Gaslighting
The man’s mysterious activities in the attic cause the house’s gas light to dim but he convinces his wife that the lights are not dimming. He manipulates his wife into believing that she can’t trust her own perceptions
Plot Of The Play/Movie Gaslight
The term gaslighting was later used by mental health practitioners to clinically describe a form of prolonged coercive control in abusive relationships
Gaslighting: Term Used By Mental Health Practitioners
Given the current scenario of fake news, misinformation, trolling and conspiracy theories, the term gaslighting has gained a strong foothold in our everyday communication
Word Of Our Time
Gaslighting has become a favoured word for the perception of deception. Hence, it earned its place in Merriam-Webster as the word of the year
Favoured Word For Deception
Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2021 was ‘vaccine’ in light of the world dealing with the coronavirus pandemic
Last Year’s Pick
Other words which made it to the Top 10 include oligarch, Omicron, , codify, queen consort, raid, sentient, cancel culture, LGBTQIA and loamy