Irish Examiner view: Permacrisis earned its place in the dictionary

From war in Ukraine and the long shadow of Covid to housing and cost-of-living crises and political turmoil across the water — the Collins Dictionary word of the year rings true for us all

Permacrisis ('an extended period of instability and insecurity') has echoes of 2012's omnishambles, memorably coined in Armando Ianucci's comedy series, 'The Thick of It'. File picture: BBC

There have been plenty of contenders for word of the year popping up in the last twelve months. “Quiet quitting”, with its sinister implications for workers everywhere, was surely a strong option for a term to sum up our current obsessions and interests.

The Collins Dictionary, however, has plumped for “permacrisis” as the word which encapsulates 2022, and even with a couple of weeks to New Year’s Eve it’s difficult to see a more apt term.