‘Fake news’ is Collins Dictionary’s word of the year 2017

LONDON – After a U.S. presidential campaign dominated by charges of fake news, Collins Dictionary has designed the term the Collins Word of the Year 2017.

The word — two words actually — will be added to the next print edition of the dictionary.

Collins said Thursday the use of the term rose 365 per cent last year. It is defined as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting.”

The term has been picked up by U.S. President Donald Trump, who routinely characterizes critical reports as “fake news” in his tweets.

Collins’ head of language content Helen Newstead said the term “fake news” has been inescapable this year.

She said it has contributed to “the undermining of society’s trust in news reporting.”