The word “populism” has been announced as the Cambridge Dictionary 2017 Word of the Year.
- The word is not only be the most searched-for words but is also reflected in spikes — occasions when a word is suddenly looked up many more times than usual on or around a particular date.
- The dictionary defines populism as “political ideas and activities that are intended to get the support of ordinary people by giving them what they want”.
- The dictionary definition of populism includes the usage label “mainly disapproving”.
- The release said: “Populism has a taint of disapproval because the -ism ending often indicates a philosophy or ideology that is being approached either uncritically (liberalism, conservatism, jingoism) or cynically (tokenism).”
- According to the university, both aspects of -ism are evident in the use of populism this year — the implied lack of critical thinking on the part of the populace, and the implied cynicism on the part of the leaders who exploit it.
