Post-truth: Brexit and now Trump… the meaning of the word of the year

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"Post-truth" has been named as Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year.

The word saw a major spike in use in the wake of the Brexit vote and Donald Trump's presidential bid.

The adjective describes circumstances, usually political, where emotions win over facts and structured reason. 

The word soared in use by around 2,000% since last year, the Oxford Dictionary said.

According to the BBC, Oxford Dictionaries' Casper Grathwohl said post-truth could become "one of the defining words of our time".

The word is a far cry from the 2015 word of the year, which was the laughing face emoji.

How times have changed. 

"Post-truth" beat out words such as "adulting", "Brexiteer" and "woke" to claim the top spot. 

Danish word "hygge", was also a front runner, which describes a distinct Danish cosiness and contentment.

Collins Dictionary named "Brexit" as it's word of the year, with "mic drop", "snowflake generation" and "JOMO" (the joy of missing out) making special appearances. 

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