Merriam-Webster has been printing English dictionaries since 1831. Brandon Bell / Getty ImagesFollowing a contentious presidential election, Merriam-Webster has chosen its word of the year for 2024: polarization.The American dictionary publisherannounced its selection today, defining the term as division into two sharply distinct opposites. However, asPeter Sokolowski, Merriam-Websters editor at large, tells theAssociated Press Anna Furman, the word suggests a very specific kind of division.Polarization means that we are tending toward the extremes rather than toward the center, he says.Merriam-Webster chooses each word of the year based on lookup datahow often a word was searched in its online dictionary. Last year, the winning word was authentic, while gaslighting claimed the title in 2022. Meanwhile, the words of the year in 2021 and 2020 were vaccine and pandemic, respectively.The basic job of the dictionary is to tell the truth about words, Sokolowski tells the AP. Weve had dictionaries of English for 420 years, and its only been in the last 20 years or so that weve actually known which words people look up.The data offers a glimpse into the ideas that are gaining traction in American culture. Per the announcement, this years top word reflects the desire of Americans to better understand the complex state of affairs in our country and around the world.Some of Merriam-Websters other contenders for 2024 included demure (popularized byTikTok videos), totality (linked to the total solar eclipse), fortnight (the title of aTaylor Swift song) and allision (used to describe theBaltimore bridge collapse).Polar derives from the Latin word polaris, which refers to the North and South Poles. Meanwhile, the verb polarize was first used in a scientific journal in 1811, according to theOxford English Dictionary.In the centuries that followed, polarization took on new meanings. Its sometimes used to describe non-political divides, but its most frequently used in the U.S. to describe race relations, politics and ideology, per the AP.'Polarization' is Merriam-Webster's 2024 word of the yearWatch on Idealistic differences between political parties often feel insurmountable, as theWashington Posts Shadi Hamid wrote in a column in October. People have fundamentally different conceptions of what is right, true and good, he wrote. Polarization isnt just a phase. Its now our default setting.As Sokolowski tells the AP, the dictionary is meant to act as a universally neutral and objective arbiter of meaning. When it comes to the word polarization, most people seem to agree about its definition. Major news outlets across the political spectrum have used the word to reflect on American politics, especially during this years presidential election.Polarization was widely used to describe America in 2024, says Greg Barlow, Merriam-Websters president, in the announcement. Ironically, its a concept that is shared by both sides of the political divide.Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: American Presidents, Democracy, Language, linguistics , Political Leaders, Politics, Pop culture, US Government