A majority of Americans believe that they should analyze politicians' word choice, according to a new survey out Tuesday.

One word has become unavoidable on the campaign trail — woke. But what does it really mean and where does it come from? The word has a long and serious history in Black culture.

“Divided.” That’s the word that most commonly came up when Monmouth University pollsters asked Americans to describe the United States in just a single word.

“Polarization”: Merriam-Webster Word of the Year Reflects Political Divides The dictionary publisher said Americans from competing tribes looked up the definition to better understand divided ...

The White House does not have a list of banned words that are restricted from use in official documents and instead gives discretion of word use to individual agencies.

All told, the Journal classified more than 500 variations of words and phrases related to political and social issues, and nearly 300 as terms related to Musk’s companies and their industries.

Words, like clothes, can lose their elegance, come to seem inappropriate, sometimes even no longer quite fit. They can also wear out from overuse. Think “consumer society,” think “lifestyle ...

I do think the word politics has shifted in its meaning. Politics was originally this idea of civic life that we had, the society that we share and the obligations and responsibilities we have ...

The politics of words costs people their reputations and careers. How can we get back shared meaning?

If it sounds like political parties speak different languages, social scientist Dannagal Young says they do. She says politicians repeat certain words to speak to their base and move people to action.

Adam Carrington is an associate professor of politics at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.

Merriam-Webster announced on Monday that its 2024 Word of the Year is "polarization," noting that the word was often used to describe political divides.