Dictionary.com's word of the year is 'xenophobia'

AP ^ | Nov. 28, 2016 | LEANNE ITALIE

[PROCON]

NEW YORK (AP) — You might have thought about it, heard it. A lot. You might have even felt it: Dictionary.com's word of the year is "xenophobia."

While it's difficult to get at exactly why people look up words in dictionaries, online or on paper, it's clear that in contentious 2016, fear of "otherness" bruised the collective consciousness around the globe.

[ColdOne]

The definitions they give you.....lean leftwing. That is why I haven’t used it in some time.

[rightwingcrazy]

Scary.

[nopardons]

I've never even heard of the site, let alone used it. OTOH, by query to you, was about WHY you didn't know the word at all and had the need to look it up.

Back when I was in high school ( before the FLOOD ), it was a very well known word and often appeared on SAT tests.

[Red Badger]

.....and paranoids are following me everywhere I go!..............

[ColdOne]

I don’t ever remember seeing it anywhere. I live a sheltered life?

[Ciaphas Cain]

[nopardons]

A "sheltered" life? That's not quite what I'd call it, but perhaps you are kind of young? If not "youngish", then I find it difficult to believe ( but I'm NOT calling you a liar, I'm just shocked! ) that you've never come across that word until now. SMH

[Does so]

The Huron Indians weren't xenophobic.

Where are they now?

[Still Thinking]

Hey, just cause you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get ya!

[Still Thinking]

...and not guilty!

[Red Badger]

Even paranoids have real enemies.......Henry Kissinger........

[Still Thinking]

Or as Charo calls him “Kissing Her”!

[Little Ray]

Xenophobia is, at least at lower levels of severity, a survival trait.

[KarlInOhio]

Xenophobia: (noun) insufficient xenophilia. McCain wanted to let in only a quarter million unvetted Syrians, so Hillary called him a xenophobe.

[Grimmy]

I thought Xenophobia was an irrational fear of Xena the Warrior Princess?

[tinyowl]

Ameriphobia, Caucophobia, Christiphobia, Penisphobia.

Many of us are the victims of Americaucochristopenisphobia. You're even more feared if you have acheived successism.

Could also be called Westerncilviliphobia, but since there is no more western civilization really except in America and a few outposts about the world ... Americaucochristopenissuccesshappyphobia is probably a good replacement.

[mainestategop]

Even Webster's is full of liberal bias!

My word for the year would be... turning point.

[clearcarbon]

Xenophobia: Fear of election theft by liberal zenomorphs.

[GotMojo]

Rigged

[BubbaBasher]

I thought it would be “existential”. Sick of hearing it.