Merriam Webster’s 2019 Word Of The Year Is The Non-binary Pronoun ‘They’

Roommates, Merriam-Webster has announced its 2019 Word of the Year, and the winner is definitely unexpected. The word ‘they’ has been part of the dictionary since it was written. It’s new definition, however, is what is catching everyone’s attention.

According to People, the dictionary added the non-binary definition of “they” to its pages back in September to represent the people of the LGTBQ community who do not prefer to identify as one gender or the other. Searches for the word were up by 313 percent this year since the addition.

“Pronouns are among the language’s most commonly used words, and like other common words, they tend to be most ignored by dictionary users,” Merriam-Webster senior editor Emily Brewster said. “But over the past year to so, as people have increasingly encountered the non binary use, we’ve seen searches for ‘they’ grow dramatically.”

Merriam-Webster says its annual list of words is determined each year by data, and analytics based on news and current events. This year, the dictionary says Sam Smith is one of the driving forces behind the winner.

As we previously reported, Sam announced they now identify as genderqueer and non-binary, and prefers to be referred to as “they” as opposed to “he” or “him”. In a tweet, Sam addressed their fan base, expressing how difficult it was to share the journey with the world. They said, however, the decision was a long time coming.

“Today is a good day so here goes. I’ve decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out,” Sam said.

The new definition of “they” is among more than 530 words added to the dictionary in September, and reads as follows: “Used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is non binary.”