American Dialect Society picks "insurrection" as word of year: The Guardian

LONDON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- "Insurrection," a term for a violent attempt to take control of the government, was chosen as the Word of the Year for 2021 by the American Dialect Society, The Guardian has reported.

"More than a year after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the nation is still coming to grips with what happened that day," Ben Zimmer, chair of the society's New Words Committee, was quoted by the British newspaper on Monday as saying.

"At the time, words like coup, sedition, and riot were used to describe the disturbing events at the Capitol, but insurrection -- a term for a violent attempt to take control of the government -- is the one that many felt best encapsulates the threat to democracy experienced that day," Zimmer added. "The lasting effects of that insurrection will be felt for years to come."