What is 2017's word of the year?

Image source, Reuters

A phrase consistently in the headlines - and one Twitter feed in particular - has been named the word of the year by dictionary publisher Collins.

"Fake news" became synonymous with statements from US President Donald Trump, as he railed against the media.

And it appears the rest of the world has followed suit, with its use rising by 365% in 2017.

As with previous words of the year picked by the publisher, "fake news" will feature in their next dictionary.

Politics had a big influence on the short list, with "Antifa" and "Echo-chamber" also taking their spots.

But even "Insta" - linked to the photo-sharing app Instagram - and "fidget spinner" could not beat the top phrase, defined by Collins as "false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting".

Image source, Harper Collins

It is the fifth year that Collins has highlighted a trending word or phrase, with previous winners including "Brexit" and "Geek".

President Trump has not been alone in using the term. Both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have included it in speeches, and social media has been littered with accusations.

Helen Newstead, Collins' head of language content, said: "'Fake news', either as a statement of fact or as an accusation, has been inescapable this year, contributing to the undermining of society's trust in news reporting."

Previous Collins' Word of the Year Winners

Image source, Harper Collins

2016 - Brexit: Noun meaning "the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union".

2015 - Binge-watch: Verb meaning "to watch a large number of television programmes (especially all the shows from one series) in succession".

2014 - Photobomb: Verb meaning "spoiling a photograph by stepping in front of them as the photograph is taken, often doing something silly such as making a funny face".

2013 - Geek: Countable noun meaning "someone who is skilled with computers, and who seems more interested in them than in people".

The Labour leader will also be pleased to hear that "Corbynmania" enjoyed a resurgence thanks to general election coverage, after surfacing in 2015.

Other new words hitting the shortlist included "gig economy", "gender fluid" and "cuffing season" - when single people look for a partner just to keep them warm in the winter months.