Gaslighting is the word of 2022, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. 

It is a form of emotional abuse that causes a victim to question their own feelings, instincts, and sanity. This tactic gives the abusive partner a great deal of power and control, in other words, the definition of abuse. 

The main definition of the dictionary of American origin for gaslighting is the psychological manipulation of a person, usually over a prolonged period of time. “It causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, their perception of reality or their memories, and generally leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty about one’s own emotional or mental stability and dependence on the aggressor,” said Peter Sokolowski, Merriam-Webster’s editor at large, in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. 

HOW IS THE WORD OF THE YEAR CHOSEN?

Merriam-Webster, which records 100 million page views a month on its website, chooses its word of the year based solely on data. Sokolowski and his team examine the most searched words to determine which word has seen a significant increase from the previous year.

They don’t look at the reasons people search for words, which can be anything from a quick spelling and definition check to some sort of attempt at inspiration or motivation. Some of the many who have searched for “gaslighting” this year may have simply wanted to know if it is one or two words, or if it has a hyphen.

What are the other most searched words of 2022? “Gaslighting,” Sokolowski noted, spent all of 2022 in the top 50 most searched words on merriam-webster.com to earn most searched word of the year status. The one chosen word for 2021 was “vaccine.”

HOW “GASLIGHTING” BEGAN IN POP CULTURE

According to ABC, although its prominence is relatively recent – including the 2020 album by The Chicks that includes the furious single “Gaslighter,” the word came to life more than 80 years ago with “Gas Light,” a 1938 play by Patrick Hamilton.

This work gave platform to two film adaptations in the 1940s. One of them, “Gaslight” (in Spain, Luz que agonizante), by George Cukor, in 1944, starred Ingrid Bergman as Paula Alquist and Charles Boyer as Gregory Anton. The two marry after a whirlwind romance and Gregory turns out to be a champion of gaslighting. Among other things, he insists that her complaints about the constant diminution of the gaslight in her London home are the product of her troubled mind. 

WHY SHOULD WE CARE THAT GASLIGHTING IS THE WORD OF 2022

Gaslighting is a tool often used by relationship abusers, as well as by politicians and other newsmakers. It can occur between romantic partners, within a larger family unit, and between friends. It may even be a corporate tactic or a way to mislead the public. There is also “medical gaslighting,” when a health professional dismisses a patient’s symptoms or illness as “it’s all in their head.”

Emotional intelligence plays a big roll when it comes to fighting back when suffering gaslighting. Here are some ways to get back your own light:

• Face those emotions instead of accepting them as true
• Stay away from revenge or getting back to someone who has abused you.
• Try not to react, rather get away from the person
• Ask for help: Share your situation with someone like a therapist or a family member.
• Stay strong, you got this!