- Merriam-Webster announced its Words of the Year, and the list included the words that people couldn't stop looking up in 2018.
- The words included "nationalism," "pansexual," and "laurel" of the notorious "laurel or yanny" debate.
- All those words were looked up at significantly higher rates than they were a year ago, the dictionary said.
Merriam-Webster announced its Words of the Year on Monday, and the winners reflect some of the biggest stories of 2018.
"Justice" was named the overall Word of the Year, the dictionary announced, while it selected 10 other notable words that people couldn't stop looking up in 2018.
The words include "lodestar," an obscure word that took center stage in one of the biggest political mysteries of the year, and "laurel," which may have been the word you heard in a viral social-media recording from May.
Others on the list were words associated with American icons who died in 2018: "respect" for Aretha Franklin and "maverick" for John McCain.
Those four words, along with the others on the list, were looked up at significantly higher rates than in years past, according to the dictionary.
Read on to see Merriam-Webster's top 10 Words of the Year:
SEE ALSO: Merriam-Webster's 2018 word of the year has appeared in political headlines nonstop for months
DON'T MISS: 27 fascinating maps that show how Americans speak English differently across the US
Nationalism
People flocked to the dictionary to find the meaning of the word "nationalism" in late October after President Donald Trump described himself as a nationalist during a Texas rally.
"You know, they have a word — it’s sort of became old-fashioned — it’s called a 'nationalist.' And I say, really, we’re not supposed to use that word," Trump said. "You know what I am? I’m a nationalist, OK? I’m a nationalist. Nationalist. Nothing wrong. Use that word. Use that word."
Merriam-Webster said look-ups for the word spiked 8,000% after Trump used it. The dictionary defines nationalism as "loyalty and devotion to a nation," especially "exalting one nation above all others."
Pansexual
Another popular word for dictionaries this year was "pansexual," which relates to "sexual desire or attraction that is not limited to people of a particular gender identity or sexual orientation," according to Merriam-Webster.
The increase in attention can be attributed in part to Janelle Monae, the singer and actress who said she identified as pansexual in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Lodestar
One of the biggest political mysteries of the year centered on the use of the word "lodestar."
In September, The New York Times published an anonymous op-ed from a senior White House official describing a secret resistance against the president within the Trump administration.
As political pundits debated the identity of the author, they zeroed in on one word used in the op-ed: lodestar. The fairly obscure word means "a star that leads or guides" or "one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide" — and Vice President Mike Pence happens to have a history of using it.
Although some suggested Pence may be the mystery author, others noted the use of "lodestar" could have been clever misdirection from another official hoping to cover their tracks.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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