‘Pragmatic’ is Merriam-Webster Word of the Year

Pragmatic: relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic matters : practical as opposed to idealistic

Now better known as the Word of the Year.

Merriam-Webster has chosen “pragmatic” for this year’s honor because it was looked up so frequently on the dictionary’s website, the Associated Press reports.

And it’s pretty fitting. The adjective describes the mood that was often referenced in stories about Congressional acts and U.S. finances, as well as the national trend away from frivolity. So why didn’t, say, “occupy” make the cut? The term was used a heck of a lot more than usual this year, but didn’t require a lot of searching on the Merriam-Webster site for a definition.