'Lockdown' named 2020 word of the year by Collins Dictionary

In a defining moment for 2020, “lockdown” has been named word of the year by Britain’s Collins Dictionary after its use skyrocketed by 6,000 percent.

France is one of many countries using lockdowns to control the spread of coronavirus. AFP/File

Meaning “the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces”, the word has made its way to all corners of the globe, publishers Harper Collins said.

"It is a unifying experience for billions of people across the world who have had collectively to play their part in combatting the spread of Covid-19."

Entering common parlance as governments imposed measures to stop the spread of Covid-19, “lockdown” went from 4,000 identified uses in 2019 to 250,000 in 2020.

BREAKING NEWS The Collins Word of the Year is… lockdown. Find out more about #CollinsWOTY 2020 and see the full shortlist here: https://t.co/4ZAEE47p9H#wordoftheyear #CollinsDictionary #lockdown pic.twitter.com/3OLL7RfSwS

— Collins Dictionary (@CollinsDict) November 10, 2020

In fact the coronavirus pandemic has been so linguistically pervasive that that six of Collins's 10 words of the year in 2020 are linked to the health crisis.

Other terms include “social distancing”, "furlough", "key worker" and "self-isolate", as well as the word "coronavirus" itself.

"Language is a reflection of the world around us and 2020 has been dominated by the global pandemic,” said Helen Newstead, language content consultant at Collins.

• Toilet paper, pasta, yoga mats scarce as French stockpile for new lockdown

• PM Boris Johnson announces new lockdown for England as Europe battles Covid-19

"With many countries entering a second lockdown, it is not a word of the year to celebrate but it is, perhaps, one that sums up the year for most of the world."

Other words to make the dictionary’s words of the year list reflect social and political events marking 2020.

The abbreviation BLM, referring to the Black Lives Matter protest movement, saw an 581 percent increase this year, while TikToker – someone who creates videos for the social media platform TikTok – also entered common usage.

Further down the list was "Megxit", in reference to the withdrawal of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan from royal duties, and "Mukbang", the Korean word for a webcast in which the host eats a large quantity food for the viewers' entertainment.