It’s that time of the year: the end! I have a selection of Words of the Year 2024, from three different sites: Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, and Oxford University Press.
polarization
We define polarization as “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.”
Polarization, and the verb polarize, date back to the early 1800s, when they first described light waves. That physical meaning of polarize—“to cause to vibrate in a definite pattern”—led to the political and cultural meaning that helps define the world today.
The polar in polarization is from Latin polaris, which describes the Earth’s poles. Polaris is also a name for the North Star. [KC – That’s a nicer place to end this definition rather than in politics.]
demure
The word demure experienced a meteoric rise in usage in 2024. Between January and the end of August, this term saw a nearly 1200% increase in usage in digital web media alone. This sharp rise is mainly attributed to TikToker Jools Lebron’s popularization of the phrase “very demure, very mindful” in a series of videos posted to the platform in early August. [KC – If you go to Dictionary.com, there still may be a copy of Jools’ TikTok video, which I
found sweet and hilarious.]
Though the term demure has traditionally been used to describe those who are reserved, quiet, or modest, a new usage has spread through social media — one used to describe refined and sophisticated appearance or behavior in various contexts, such as at work or on a plane. This increased focus on public appearance and behavior comes at a time when employees are increasingly returning to offices after hybrid remote work following the pandemic.
Brain rot
Brain rot is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration”.
Our experts noticed that ‘brain rot’ gained new prominence this year as a term used to capture concerns about the impact of consuming excessive amounts of low-quality online content, especially on social media. The term increased in usage frequency by 230% between 2023 and 2024.
The first recorded use of ‘brain rot’ was found in 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book Walden, which reports his experiences of living a simple lifestyle in the natural world.
So, there you have them. A few words of this year to sum up politics, TikTok presence, and the result of watching too much of both. I’m going to go for Jools Lebron’s use of demure as my favorite.
I wish you all a very peaceful, joyful, and happy new year. Since that feels a little dull, I’m going to make an AI card to celebrate.
Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications
Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com
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