Dictionary.com announces word of the year
Do you know what it means? (Picture: Getty) Russian election influence, the sexual harassment scanda..
Russian election influence, the sexual harassment scandal, mass shootings and an opioid epidemic have all helped ‘complicit’ become Dictionary.com’s word of the year.
Searches for ‘complicit’ increased nearly 300% over last year as it hit just about every hot button topic from politics to natural disasters.
You'll want to fight crime down under after watching this recruitment video
Dictionary.com defines the word as ‘choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others’.
The first of three major spikes for the word happened in March, the day after Saturday Night Live aired a sketch starring Scarlett Johansson as Ivanka Trump.
The actress appeared in a glittery gold dress selling a fragrance called ‘Complicit’ because: ‘She’s beautiful, she’s powerful, she’s complicit.’
The second bump in traffic followed Ms Trump’s appearance on CBS This Morning a few weeks later, when she said: ‘I don’t know what it means to be complicit.’
Another major spike occurred on October 24, the day Arizona Republican Jeff Flake announced from the Senate floor that he would not seek re-election.
Donald Trump makes 'Pocahontas' joke at Native American event
He harshly criticised President Donald Trump and urged other members of the party not to stand silently with the president.
‘I have children and grandchildren to answer to, and so, Mr President, I will not be complicit,’ Mr Flake said.
Lexicographer Jane Solomon said: ‘This year a conversation that keeps on surfacing is what exactly it means to be complicit.
‘Complicit has sprung up in conversations about those who speak out against powerful figures in institutions, and those who stay silent.’
Ms Solomon said several other major events contributed to interest in the word.
She pointed to the opioid epidemic that swept the US, along with the spread of sexual harassment allegations against an ever-growing list of powerful men.
The scandal that started with Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood and quickly spread across other industries, has led to a mountain of questions over who knew what, who might have contributed and what it means to stay silent.
MORE: Is it a good time to invest in Bitcoin? Value just shot up again
MORE: Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle while they were cooking roast chicken
