Dictionary.com anoints allyship word of the year for 2021
By LEANNE ITALIE
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Allyship is Dictionary.com’s word of the year. The look up site with 70 million monthly users took the unusual step of anointing a word it added just last month. The company’s John Kelly says allyship first surfaced in the mid-1800s. What it means to be an authentic ally has taken on fresh significance as buzz around the word has grown louder. One of the aspects of allyship, as it has emerged in recent decades, is how badly it can go. Among the dictionary site’s definitions for allyship is the role of a person who advocates for inclusion of a “marginalized or politicized group” — in solidarity but not as a member.