Dictionary.com Announces ‘Woman’ as Word of the Year, Reveals Search Spike After Tense Senate Hearing Exchange

Dictionary.com announced “woman” as 2022’s word of the year, revealing there have been significant spikes in people looking up the definition of the word this year, especially after Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) posed the question “what is a woman?” to Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Dictionary.com announced the word selection on Tuesday and said it cannot be separated from the major events of 2022.

“It’s one of the oldest words in the English language,” the announcement reads. “One that’s fundamental not just to our vocabulary but to who we are as humans. And yet it’s a word that continues to be a source of intense personal importance and societal debate. It’s a word that’s inseparable from the story of 2022.”

The company revealed significant spikes in the word being looked up through 2022, the biggest being at the end of March when Blackburn had her confrontation with Jackson. The Supreme Court justice did not provide an answer that satisfied Blackburn and declared she was “not a biologist” during the exchange.

Blackburn’s question would go on to inspire the title of the controversial Daily Wire film What Is a Woman?, which creator Matt Walsh claimed led to death threats and calls for his arrest from activists.

Other spikes in searches were timed with the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and other major events.

Dictionary.com provided a definition for the word “woman” (an adult female person), but made sure to mention that the definition of the word is not up to them.

“But the dictionary is not the last word on what defines a woman. The word belongs to each and every woman—however they define themselves,” the announcement reads.

A short list of other words considered by the company included “world,” “democracy,” and “inflation.” Also included was the term quiet quitting, as well as the flag emoji for Ukraine.