O Oxford Dictionary chose “climate emergency” as its word of the year for 2019. The term has seen a 100-fold increase in usage recently, rising from “relative obscurity to become one of the most prominent and debated terms of 2019.” The Oxford Dictionary defines “climate emergency” as “a situation in which urgent action is needed to reduce or halt climate change and prevent potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.” Collins Dictionary chose “climate strike” as its word of the year for the same reasons.
The word that attracts the most interest is chosen by Oxford each year. According to the institution, a jury selects the winning term based on “lasting potential” and “cultural significance”. Last year, “Toxic” was the word of the year and “Youthquake” was the winning term in 2017. You can check out the list here.
