Oxford Dictionaries today declared "Youthquake" as the word of the year for 2017, owing to what it calls a "political awakening" among young voters. Youthquake is defined by Oxford Dictionary as "a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people".


Last year Oxford named "post-truth" as the word of the year, after the Brexit vote and Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential election.


"We chose youthquake based on its evidence and linguistic interest. But most importantly for me, at a time when our language is reflecting a deepening unrest and exhausted nerves, it is a rare political word that sounds a hopeful note," Casper Grathwohl, Oxford President of Dictionaries, said in a blog post.


"Hope that our polarised times are creating a more open- minded electorate that will exercise its voice in the times ahead," said Grathwohl. Usage of the term in the UK increased fivefold in 2017 over 2016, including a huge spike in the second half of the year, he said.


The word first built momentum in the wake of the British polls in June when young voters almost carried the Labour Party to an unlikely victory, the dictionary said.