Feminism is word of year for 2017: Merriam-Webster

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Merriam-Webster dictionary on Tuesday announced its word of the year for 2017 is "feminism".

"Feminism" was the word most looked up in its online dictionary throughout the year, generating 70 percent more searches than last year, said Merriam-Webster.

The word is defined in Merriam-Webster as "the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes" and as the "organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests."

The word spiked after the Women's March in Washington D.C., together with sister marches across the United States and around the world on Jan. 21, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration.

It has surged again in the dictionary's online searches since October when the "#MeToo" social media movement kicked off in the wake of explosive reports about Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's years of abusive behavior.

Since then, tens of thousands of women from all over the world have broken their long-term silence about sexual abuse by powerful men in the worlds of entertainment, media, business and politics. Enditem