‘Lockdown’ has been declared the word of the year for 2020 by Collins Dictionary.
A phrase that many will not want to hear in 2021, the term has symbolised a period unlike any other in modern history.
Collins said it “encapsulates the shared experience of billions of people” as they honoured 2020 as the year of the Lockdown.
The word was used more than 250,000 times this year, according to lexicographers, who found just 4,000 examples in 2019.
Lockdown wasn’t the only pandemic term on the top 10 list, with furlough, self-isolate and coronavirus all being recognised.
Key worker and socially-distanced were also phrases that recorded a huge increase in usage this year, as you can imagine.
'Megxit' also made its way into the top ten, after it was coined to describe the split between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry from the Royal Family.
The abbreviation BLM, for Black Lives Matter, also made this year's shortlist.
Defined by Collins as “a movement that campaigns against racially motivated violence and oppression”, it registered a 581% increase in usage.
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TikToker was also a new phrase recognised in 2020, having been created to describe users on the video sharing app.
If today’s announcement has made you wonder what previous words of the year have been, then look no further as we have the list below.
Published in Glasgow, there has been a Collins English Dictionary since 1819.
The word of the year has been an annual award held since 2013.
2013: Geek
2014: Photobomb
2015: Binge-watch
2016: Brexit
2017: Fake News
2018: Single-use
2019: Climate strike
2020: Lockdown
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