Merriam-Webster, an American book company known for its dictionaries, chose the word gaslighting as its 2022 keyword.
The term gaslighting was born from the 1983 play and 1944 film, Gaslight. In both, a man tries to trick his wife into thinking she's passing out, telling her that the light from the gas lanterns in their house isn't fading at all. He manipulates her into thinking she is going crazy.
According to Merriam-Webster, in the context of the film, nowadays the term gaslighting refers to "the psychological manipulation of a person over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question" the reality around him/her.
In 2021, Merriam-Webster chose the word "vaccine" as the word of the year, while in 2020, "pandemic".
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