Dictionary.com explains why 'woman' was the most searched word of the year

The report also highlighted how searches for the word woman spiked significantly on Dictionary.com, multiple times in relation to separate high-profile events

As the year 2022 comes to an end, Dictionary.com declared 'woman' as the Word of the Year for 2022. The word was chosen as it was the most frequently searched word throughout the year. 

According to a report published by Dictionary.com, 'woman' is one of the oldest words in the English language and one that is not just fundamental to vocabulary but also to who we are as humans. Dictionary.com also wrote in its report, "Our selection of 'woman' as our 2022 Word of the Year reflects how the intersection of gender, identity, and language dominates the current cultural conversation and shapes much of our work as a dictionary."

As per the report, searches for the word 'woman' spiked more than 1,400 per cent, which is a massive leap for a word that is used so commonly. Subsequent spikes eventually resulted in double the typical annual search volume for the word.

The report also highlighted how searches for the word woman spiked multiple times in relation to separate high-profile events. The year 2022 witnessed many crucial events which took place across the world with women leading the way. From Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's becoming the first Black woman as the US Supreme Court justice to banning abortion, protests in Iran, and the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the world's longest-serving monarch.

The biggest spike began at the end of March after US Justice Jackson's selection during which the definition of the word ‘woman’ came into focus.

"It was a rare case of not just a word in the spotlight, but a definition. We at Dictionary.com weren’t the only ones to take notice. The prominence of the question and the attention it received demonstrate how issues of transgender identity and rights are now frequently at the forefront of our national discourse. More than ever, we are all faced with questions about who gets to identify as a woman (or a man, or neither). The policies that these questions inform transcend the importance of any dictionary definition—they directly impact people’s lives," said the report.
 

Dictionary.com is the world's digital dictionary catering to over 70 million users per month.