what is the english word of the year?

Several dictionaries are saying different things as to what the 'word of the year' should be:

From 'Goblin Mode' to 'Gaslighting': Check out word of the year by different dictionaries

2022 Words Of The Year From Merriam-Webster, Collins, Macquarie, Oxford

Why 'Homer,' 'Permacrisis' and 'Gaslighting' have topped the 2022 Word of the Year lists | Euronews

Baseball, power and war - 2022's key words - BBC News

For example:

For the first time ever, the Oxford English Dictionary’s (OED) word of the year was left to the public to decide. Over 340,000 people participated, with ‘goblin mode’ receiving 93% of the total votes. The OED defines it as “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”.

Merriam-Webster dictionary chose ‘gaslighting’, after a 1,740% rise in searches for the term this year. According to the OED it means “manipulating (a person) by psychological means into questioning his or her own sanity”.

Dictionary.com crowned ‘woman’ as its word of the year, after a 1,400% spike in searches over 2022. The word was frequently searched as people explored what it meant amid debates over transgender rights.

Collins Dictionary describes ‘permacrisis’ as “an extended period of instability and insecurity”. The world has certainly faced a variety of crises this year, from the war in Ukraine to the cost-of-living crisis.

Japan’s kanji of 2022, decided by public vote, was the one denoting war or battle ‘戦’, the Guardian reported.

The 2022 'word of the year' according to different dictionaries | World Economic Forum

With a nice little English lesson from VOA:

What Is Your Word of the Year?

.

.

.