Permacrisis’, a term that describes ‘an extended period of instability and insecurity’, has been named Collins Word of the Year 2022.
It is one of several words Collins highlights that relate to ongoing crises the UK and the world have faced and continue to face, including political instability, the war in Ukraine, climate change, and the cost-of-living crisis. Six words on Collins’ list of ten words of the year are new to the dictionary.
The current permacrisis also happens to be responsible for some of the other words on this year’s shortlist – not surprising given its all-consuming nature.
Partygate, of course, is one of the events that set off the period of political turbulence whose ramifications are still playing out. It proves that the “-gate” suffix – made famous by the discovery of secret recordings in Washington DC’s Watergate Hotel – still has some life in it.
Other words that have helped perpetuate the feeling of permacrisis in the words of the year include: “Kyiv”, the city that has become a symbol of Ukraine’s stand against Russian aggression has seen widespread recognition of its Ukrainian name and “warm bank”, a heated, open-to-the-public sanctuary such as a library or place of worship where one can make use of the heating, saving on spiralling energy bills at home.
Other words on the list of key words of 2022 include “Carolean”, marking the end of the Elizabethan era and the beginning of the reign of King Charles III;
“quiet quitting”, the act of doing one’s basic duties at work and no more, either by way of protest or to improve work/life balance and “sportswashing”, an established term for how organisations or countries use sports promotion to enhance reputations or distract from controversial activities or policies has seen increased use in the year of the Fifa World Cup in Qatar;
While “lawfare”, the strategic use of law to intimidate or hinder an opponent has also made an appearance
