NEW YORK (AP) — If you were to choose a word that rose above most in 2020, which word would it be? Ding, ding, ding: Merriam-Webster on Monday announced “pandemic” as its 2020 word of the year.
Merriam-Webster's editor at large, Peter Sokolowski, tells The Associated Press ahead of Monday's announcement that pandemic rose to the top in March.
That's when the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus crisis a pandemic.
Interest in the word on the company's website, Merriam-Webster.com, has been high through the year.
Among the runners up for word of the year: kraken, mamba and defund.
President-elect Joe Biden's fondness for the word malarkey lifted the word to runner up status as well.