Xenophobia is Dictionary.com's 2016 word of the year, the website announced Monday. Searches for the word — which Dictionary.com defined as the "fear or hatred of foreigners" or "of people who are culturally different" — reportedly spiked throughout 2016, amid the Brexit vote, the U.S. presidential election, and debates over the Syrian refugee crisis.
"Xenophobia and other words tied to global news and political rhetoric reflected the worldwide interest in the unfortunate rise of fear of otherness in 2016, making it the clear choice for Word of the Year," said CEO Liz McMillan in a statement.
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