2011: Pragmatic

Unlike some of our other spiking words, 2011's pragmatic was associated more with a national mood than any specific event. The word describes "an admirable quality that people value in themselves and wish for in others, especially in their leaders and their policies," said Sokolowski.

Number two on that year's list was ambivalence. Like pragmatic, the runner-up reflects an overall mood rather than a specific event. "We think it reflected the public attitude toward a wide range of issues, including the economy, the ongoing debates in Washington," said Morse, "and the race for the Republican Party presidential nomination."