This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
On December 10, 2019, Merriam-Webster announced that 'they' had been named the word of the year, a testament to the increasing recognition of non-binary identities in the English language.
The use of 'they' as a non-binary pronoun has gained momentum in recent years, with more people exercising their right to choose the pronoun by which they are identified, regardless of their sex at birth.
Merriam-Webster added 'they' as a non-binary pronoun to its dictionary in September 2019, citing a significant increase in searches for the word, which jumped 313 percent in a year.
Non-binary individuals, such as British artist Sam Smith, are enjoying increased representation in popular culture, with Smith recently revealing a preference for 'they/them' pronouns.
Even tech giants like Apple are taking steps to promote inclusivity, adding 'neutral' emojis to its latest operating system.
