Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year, They, is a “Huge Step,” says WJC Professor12/20/2019 12:00:00 PMStaff ReportMerriam-Websters Word of the Year, They, is a Huge Step, says WJC Professor Merriam-Websters Word of the Year, They, is a Huge Step, says WJC Professor Merriam-Websters Word of the Year, They, is a Huge Step, says WJC Professor Merriam-Webster recently announced that the 2019 word of the year is “they,” after a 313% increase in searches for the term over the past year. The use of the pronoun “they” to refer to a singular person of non-binary gender identity has been gaining prominence. Merriam-Webster added the third-person singular definition to the website in September 2019 and the American Psychological Association (APA) endorsed its use as part of official APA style outlined in the seventh edition Publication Manual.Around CampusAround Campus