“Polarization means division, but it’s a very specific kind of division,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press ahead of Monday's announcement.

By Anna Furman, Associated Press

Authentic cuisine. Authentic voice. Authentic self. Authenticity as artifice. Lookups for the word are routinely heavy on the dictionary company's site but were boosted to new heights throughout the year.

By Leanne Italie, Associated Press

Merriam-Webster has chosen "gaslighting" as its word of the year for 2022.

By Leanne Italie, Associated Press