play word of the year 2015 video
Words of the Year

2015 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Editor Peter Sokolowski talks about our Word of the Year selections.



The words people look up show our curiosity, and the lookups are just the beginning of reflection on and discussion of the topics that are on our minds.

See how we select our Word of the Year, along with the full list of words.

And get details about all the lookups, including the events that triggered them, at our Word of the Year Gallery.

Up next

play word of the year 2015 video
2015 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

 

Peter Sokolowski talks about the year's selections

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How Do You Pronounce 'Vase'?

 

And is one way more correct than the others?

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Is 'none' singular or plural?

 

Or both? Or neither?

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Lay vs. Lie

 

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

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The History of 'Cynic'

 

How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.

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Further vs. Farther

 

They started as same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.

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How to Remember 'Affect' and 'Effect'

 

A simple way to keep them apart. (Most of the time.)