The word "economy" was declared the word of the year 2010

Springfield - When the Greek government faced an economic crisis and an ever-growing debt, it implemented strict austerity measures, including tax increases and public sector wage cuts. The government’s actions led to protests, strikes, and riots across the country. However, they also triggered a rush to online dictionaries, reports the AP agency.
    The definition of the word "austerity," which originated in the 14th century, was searched online by so many people that yesterday the dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster declared it the word of the year for 2010. Over 250,000 people looked for it in the online version of the well-known explanatory dictionary.
    "What we are looking for ... are words that have seen an unusually increased interest," explains John Morse the principle of selecting the word of the year. Thus, only the most searched words are not included in the top ten, but particularly words that had significantly more interest that year than in previous years.
    This year's top ten also featured terms like "pragmatic," "moratorium," "socialism," and "bigot."
    The increased interest in these words was reportedly prompted mainly because they frequently appeared in the news, encouraging people to find their definitions. For example, many people likely searched for the definition of "socialism" because opponents of U.S. President Barack Obama often used it as a frequent label for his policies.
    Among the top ten words of 2010 were also expressions like "doppelganger," "shellacking," "ebullient," and "furtive."
    English professor Allan Metcalf is convinced that the list of frequently searched words is a good reflection of changing times. "Twenty or thirty years ago, everyone would know what 'socialism' is. This also applies to the term 'bigot.' The fact that people today have to look up these words says something about us," says Metcalf.