The Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year has a shortlist consisting of one word from each of our fifteen (sixteen including COVID-19) categories. While the titles are sometimes self-explanatory, our editors have expanded on the category titles to give us a better understanding of what each group encapsulates.
- Agriculture – related to farming practices, equipment and produce.
- Arts – including literature, film, fine arts and music.
- Business – associated with finance and corporations.
- Colloquial – informal and slang language.
- Communication – how we talk, write and interact with each other.
- COVID-19 – related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Eating and drinking – food, beverages and cooking.
- Environment – the natural world, and our effect on it.
- Fashion – clothing, accessories and trends.
- General interest – everything else!
- Health – medical, psychological and well-being.
- Internet – online terminology.
- Politics – government and elections.
- Social interest – human interactions, families and relationships.
- Sport – exercise, physical and mental competitions.
- Technology – computers, robotics and machinery.
As you can see, this has covered a vast amount of ground for human society, and even has the very handy “General interest” category to pull in anything that doesn’t quite fit.
