2019 Word of the Year—They

Change can be difficult when it comes to evolving language but it’s often for the better.

Earlier this week, Merriam-Webster announced “they” as the 2019 Word of the Year due to its status as the “most looked up word” of 2019. In September, the dictionary added a new definition to the word “they” for use by individuals who neither identify as male nor female:

They (pronoun)
3-d…used to refer to a single person whose gender identity is nonbinary

So, it is now acceptable to use “they” in place of “he” or “she,” as did a mother who referred to her gender-nonconforming child in a House Judiciary meeting earlier this year. And Grammy-award winner Sam Smith announced on Instagram that they are now using gender-neutral pronouns.

The word “they” was also in the news in 2017. That year the AP Style Guide began permitting the use of “they” (and its cohorts ”them” and “their”) as a singular pronoun. Technical writers, journalists, and other content creators have been celebrating ever since. It made life so much easier!

For instance, instead of the gender inclusive use of his and her:

Ask the customer to present his or her driver’s license at the service desk.

Or the more cumbersome, passive voice:

Ask that the customer’s driver’s license be presented at the service desk.

It became perfectly acceptable to use “their” as a singular pronoun:

Ask the customer to present their driver’s license at the service desk.

In the quest for clarity and universality, these are changes writers and readers can embrace.