'They' has been named the 2019 word of the year.
Merriam-Webster says the pronoun, used to refer to a person who identifies as neither male nor female, has become increasingly popular in both public and personal communication.
The dictionary says numbers looking up the word during 2019 rose by more than 300%, compared to last year.
Earlier this year, Singer Sam Smith announced they they use they and them pronouns.
American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA) also revealed that her child is gender-nonconforming and uses they.
The American Psychological Association recommended singular they should be used in professional writing over “he or she” when the reference is to a person whose gender is unknown.
