‘Climate Emergency’ As 2019 Word of the Year of Oxford Dictionaries

Oxford Dictionaries declared “climate emergency” to be 2019 Word of the Year, selecting it from an all-environmental shortlist of words of descriptions. This word has significant meaning for what is matter to the public. The category of the word also shows what is the main concern in the world also. In another angle, it also tells us what has happened that arose the public to check it out.

According to Oxford Dictionaries, the usage of the term “climate emergency” increased 100-fold in 12 months. Oxford also said that the choice of word reflected the rise in climate awareness and the language we use to discuss it. And it demonstrated a “greater immediacy” in the way we discuss about the climate.

Oxford said the words soared from “relative obscurity” to “one of the most prominent – and prominently debated – terms of 2019.” The definition is “a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it”.

In 2019, “climate” became the most common word associated with “emergency”. As Oxford mentioned that, the upward of the use of “climate emergency” is a reflection of a conscious push towards language of immediacy and urgency.

Following the Amazon forest fires, Australia forest fires, California bushes fires and the recent Venice severe flooding, there’s no doubt what is the immediate urgency. There’s the proof from the Oxford Dictionaries, it’s “climate emergency”, a level more alarming than global warming, global heating or climate change.