A word that has been used incessantly to describe the fraught state of American politics and society is Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of year. That word is “polarization.”

The dictionary publisher said Americans from competing tribes looked up the definition to better understand divided politics at home and worldwide.

With less than a month left until January, Merriam-Webster has chosen its 2024 Word of the Year, one that has often defined the political landscape of the United States and its candidates. The word, the book company reported,