The UK Collins English Dictionary named on Thursday "climate strike," a worldwide phenomenon that became popular due to the actions of Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg, as the word of the year for 2019
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th November, 2019) The UK Collins English Dictionary named on Thursday "climate strike," a worldwide phenomenon that became popular due to the actions of Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg, as the word of the year for 2019.Collins defines the expression as "a form of protest in which people absent themselves from education or work in order to join demonstrations demanding action to counter climate change."
According to the dictionary's website, the term first popped up in November 2015 when an event with the same name took place during the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris. Over the last year, climate strikes have become a frequent reality in the largest cities across the world. Collins' lexicographers stated that the expression's usage has considerably increased this year.
Collins also said that "influencer" and "deepfake" were two words that made this year's shortlist.
Collins Dictionary's word of the year in 2018 was "single-use," a term that describes items that are designed to be used once, such as plastic bags and utensils, and are blamed for damaging the environment.
Thunberg became an international celebrity in August 2018 when she had her first "climate strike" by skipping school to protest outside the Swedish parliament. She later continued to do this every Friday. Her actions inspired the Fridays for Future initiative, which swept across Sweden and other countries, uniting young people who are dissatisfied with the lack of climate action by authorities.
