A dictionary publisherâs pronouncement of one of President Donald Trumpâs favorite terms as its âWord of the Yearâ is confusing people online.
The British-based Collins English Dictionary announced Thursday that âfake news,â the term Trump last week inaccurately suggested heâd coined himself, is one of prominence in 2017.
It defined âfake newsâ as meaning âfalse, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reportingâ â and said its use has soared by 365 percent since last year.
Trumpâs regular use of the term to dismiss critical news reports about his administration contributed to its rise in popularity, Collins noted.
But tweeters have been quick to call out the publisherâs choice, due to the fact that the âwordâ actually consists of two words â and so is therefore really a âterm.âÂ
Antifa, cuffing season, echo chamber, fidget spinner, gender-fluid, gig economy, Insta, unicorn and Corbynmania also featured on the shortlist for the year.
âMuch of this yearâs listâ was âdefinitely politically charged,â said Collinsâ head of language content, Helen Newstead, via a statement.
ââFake newsâ, either as a statement of fact or as an accusation, has been inescapable this year, contributing to the undermining of societyâs trust in news reporting,â she added. âGiven the termâs ubiquity and its regular usage by President Trump, it is clear that Collinsâs word of the year is very real news.â