Which word do you think of most when you look back on the last 10 years?
That’s precisely the question Macquarie Dictionary is looking for your help with, as the publication tries to pin down its quintessential ‘word of the decade’.
The wordsmiths at Macquarie release a Committee’s Choice and People’s Choice ‘word of the year’ every each, and they’ve used these to put together their shortlist, which you can see below:
- 2011 – burkini (Committee’s Choice), fracking (People’s Choice)
- 2012 – phantom vibration syndrome (Committee’s Choice), First World Problem (People’s Choice)
- 2013 – infovore (Committee’s Choice), onesie (People’s Choice)
- 2014 – mansplain (Committee’s Choice), share plate (People’s Choice)
- 2015 – captain’s call (Committee’s Choice and People’s Choice)
- 2016 – fake news (Committee’s Choice), halal snack pack (People’s Choice)
- 2017 – milkshake duck (Committee’s Choice), framiliy (People’s Choice)
- 2018 – Me Too (Committee’s Choice), single-use (People’s Choice)
- 2019 – cancel culture (Committee’s Choice), robodebt (People’s Choice)
- 2020 – doomscrolling (Committee’s Choice), Karen (People’s Choice)
It’s quite interesting to look back on these words and see how some have entered the modern vernacular, while others have fallen by the wayside (milkshake duck, anyone?)
You’ll have to get in quick though.
Voting closes noon Wednesday, 3 February 3, with the winner announced Thursday, 4 February.
You can cast your vote here.
