In complete alignment with global (un)certainties, the team from the British Collins Dictionary has chosen the word of the year for 2022. Permacrisis (engl. permacrisis) or prolonged crisis is the word that best describes the current year, defined as ‘an extended period of instability and insecurity resulting from a series of catastrophic events’.
Indeed, when tallying the events that have marked the past two years, starting from the pandemic to war conflicts, inflation, climate change, and economic instability, permacrisis has emerged as a completely logical and extremely precise choice. On the Collins Dictionary blog, writer David Shariatmadari noted that ‘the word embodies a dizzying sense of teetering from one event to another, with trepidation about what horrors await around the corner’.
New Words
Among other popular words, the publication, as reported by CBS News, also selected Kyiv, Partygate (gatherings at Downing Street during the pandemic despite epidemiological measures), splooting (cooling off by lying on one’s stomach due to unusually high temperatures), vibe shift (a change in cultural trend, ‘vibes’), and quiet quitting (silent resignation).
