Dictionary.com Word of the Year 2019
Dictionary.com named "existential" its word of the year for 2019, reflecting heightened public attention to global risks and long-term uncertainty. The selection was based on lookup data and editorial analysis of how the term was used in news and discourse throughout the year. The word signaled concerns about climate change, economic instability, and systemic threats to institutions.
In 2019, searches for "existential" spiked around climate reports, geopolitical tensions, and major corporate events. The term captured a widespread sense that the future of economies, industries, and financial systems was being questioned. This focus on existential risk influenced how investors, regulators, and companies discussed long-term strategy.
Financial and Market Implications
Asset managers and institutional investors increasingly used existential framing to describe risks from climate change, technological disruption, and demographic shifts. In 2019, firms such as BlackRock and Bridgewater highlighted scenarios where business models faced fundamental challenges. This language appeared in investor letters, regulatory commentary, and corporate disclosures.
Companies in energy, automotive, and consumer sectors faced questions about their long-term viability as existential risk entered mainstream financial analysis. Tesla and other clean-energy firms were frequently cited as examples of businesses positioned to address or be affected by these challenges. The shift influenced capital allocation, with more capital flowing toward sustainability-linked instruments and away from high-emission assets.
Regulatory and Corporate Responses
Regulators and standard-setters began incorporating existential risk into guidance, with the SEC and European authorities pushing for clearer climate-related disclosures. Companies started aligning reporting with frameworks such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. This trend intensified after 2019, as investors demanded more granular data on transition and physical risks.
Boards and executives used the term to justify strategic pivots, including decarbonization plans, supply-chain resilience investments, and scenario analysis. Financial institutions updated risk models to account for long-tail threats that could reshape entire sectors. The focus on existential risk became a structural feature of corporate governance and fiduciary decision-making.