Dictionary.com's word of the year will break your heart

In a year in which the president-elect of the United States made severely restricting Muslim immigration and building a wall between America and Mexico primary parts of his election platform, it's no surprise that Dictionary.com chose "xenophobia" as its word of the year.

The site defines "xenophobia" as "1.fear or hatred of foreigners, people from different cultures, or strangers; 2.fear or dislike of the customs, dress, etc., of people who are culturally different from oneself."

In a statement, Dictionary.com noted the underlying theme of major news stories in 2016 led to the choice of "xenophobia." These stories included the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the Brexit vote, police shootings, Syria’s refugee crisis and transsexual rights.

"Some of the most prominent news stories this year have centered on fear of the 'other'," the statement read.

But it wasn't the recent U.S. election that was the impetus for the largest spike in searches for the word on the site. That honor, according to the statement, goes to the "Yes" vote on Brexit with the spike coming on June 24, 2016. (For its part, "Brexit" was Collins Dictionary's pick for word of the year.)

In the weeks leading up to the Brexit vote, polls indicated immigration issues were at the heart of those favoring the "leave" vote and allegations of racism were rife. Following the Brexit vote, racist incidents saw a spike in the UK, many specifically targeting migrants.

The murder of Member of Parliament Jo Cox days before the vote at the hands of a right-wing extremist underscored the rising tension. Cox was a staunch supporter of the "remain" vote and also a supporter of taking in Syrian refugees.

Xenophobia has also been on the minds of Americans during Trump's rise throughout 2016. Trump himself dismissed allegations that his platform was based on mysoginy and xenophobia in a CNN interview in March, calling his beliefs "intelligence" instead.

And, in June, just days after the Brexit vote, President Obama addressed Trump's rhetoric, dismissing the notion that it was "populism," but, rather "nativism... xenophobia."

With such a word becoming the word of the year, don't forget there are things you can do to help fight the spread of xenophobia, including donating and volunteering.