It’s been quite a year for tech, with Gen Z leading the way on social media platforms like TikTok and shedding light on new terminology around topics like mental health, relationships, inclusivity, and more.
There’s also a growing interest in conspiracy theories and deepfakes, making one word more prevalent in major news cycles (read: the Elizabeth Holmes trial, the mass exodus of Twitter employees).
The word in question? Gaslighting, which was just mentioned Merriam Webster’s “Word of the Year 2022.”
Merriam-Webster defines gaslighting (verb) as “psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perceptions of reality, or memories and usually leads to confusion, loss of confidence . and self-esteem, the uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.”
The origin comes from a 1938 play aptly titled “Gas Light”, in which a man named Jack Manningham tries to trick his wife into thinking she’s losing her mind. Part of this happens when the lights in the couple’s attic begin to dim and get darker – he tells her that she imagines the change in light and that she cannot be trusted with what she sees and believes.
“The idea of a deliberate conspiracy to deceive has created gaslight helpful in describing lies that are part of a larger plan,” Merriam-Webster explained in a statement. “Unlike to lie, which is usually between individuals, and fraudoften involving organizations, gaslight applies in both personal and political contexts. It is equally at home in formal and technical writing as well as colloquial speech.”
“Gaslighting” will see a 1740% increase in searches by 2022, Merriam Webster also noted.
Other top words of the year included “Oligarch” (in the midst of the Russia-Ukraine conflict), “Omicron” (thank the pandemic for that), and “Codify.”
Last year’s word of the year was, unsurprisingly, “Vaccine.”
