Introducing: The Word of the Year 2022

It’s that most wonderful time of the year when we find out what the dictionary brainiacs determine to be the Word of the Year. Sometimes there are surprises, and other times, duds. You just gotta “take what you git and don’t pitch a fit,” and then start using the word in your conversations, just to ramp up your style. The folks at Merriam-Webster huddled together, and three days later came out of their cave and announced to the English-speaking tribes of the world: “The Word of the Year for 2022 is... gaslighting.”

Huh? I believe I have heard the word, but I’m 1,000 percent certain I have never used the word in conversation. I certainly would not be able to explain to you what it means.

So with the assistance of a Merriam-Webster Dictionary, here are their definitions: (1) Gaslighting — the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over an extended period of time, that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator.

Really? It’s weird and... frightening, even... to think this word, given that definition, was used so many times in 2022 that it ranks at the top of the word lists in the dictionary!

But then there is a second meaning, close to the first.

(2) Gaslighting — the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.

Given that definition, a bit of light is shed onto the word, as I replay some of the activities in the political theatre. Case in point, consider the following statement: “Election season can create emotions spanning from immense anxiety all the way to extreme apathy. The public arguing, divisiveness, and competition for votes, including political gaslighting, can be overwhelming and exhausting.” (Vernita Perkins and Leonard A. Jason) Hmmm.... The origins of gaslighting are colorful, at best. The term comes from the title of a 1938 play and the movies based on that play, the plots of which involve a man attempting to make his wife believe that she is going insane. His mysterious activities in the attic cause the house’s gas lights to dim, but he insists to his wife that the lights are not dimming and that she can’t trust her own perceptions.

When gaslighting was first used in the mid-20th century, it referred to deception like that in the plots mentioned in definition (1). In the current century, especially the last two years, the word has come to refer to something simpler yet broader, as stated in definition (2). In this use, the word is at home with other terms relating to modern forms of deception and manipulation, such as “fake news.”

The concept of “a deliberate conspiracy to mislead” has made gaslighting useful in describing lies that are part of a larger plan. However, unlike lying, which tends to be between individuals, and fraud, which tends to involve organizations, gaslighting applies in both personal and political contexts.

And its increasing use in many contexts contributed to making gaslighting Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year for 2022.

So now I understand how this word crept into many conversations last year, a/k/a election year.