In an unprecedented move, the Merriam-Webster dictionary has pre-emptively declared “lowkirkenuinely” to be the 2026 Word of the Year. The designation, which is normally awarded in December, was decided in an emergency vote last week by the dictionary’s editorial staff. “While we have historically allowed the trend cycle to run its course, a word materialized in January that truly encapsulates the ethos of 2026,” editor Hans von Werdel told the Colombia Spectador. “After hearing the adverb for the first time, our editorial staff knew immediately that we were wading in unique and unprecedented waters.” Merriam-Webster defines “lowkirkenuinely” as a portmanteau of three distinct words and phrases: “lowkey,” “Charlie Kirk,” and “genuinely.” The word is used as an expression of acknowledgement with the tonal gravity appropriate to the memory of the deceased political figure. Some examples of “lowkirkenuinely” used in a sentence include:
- “When you’re eating chicken strips at JJs and you realize the meat is lowkirkenuinely raw.”
- “Lowkirkenuinely, I need to lock in on my class participation or Dean Sorett is going to drop me from Religion & Hip Hop.”
- “If JFK Jr. had stayed with Daryl Hana instead of leaving her for the Calvin Klein choppelganger, I lowkirkenuinely don’t think he would have died.”
Von Werdel continued, “In a year of unbridled nonchalance, ‘lowkirkenuinely’ emerges as a beacon of seriousness, recognizing the weight of facts or opinions within the wider cultural landscape.”
How do you use “lowkirkenuinely”? Have a funny anecdote involving the word? Write to us at opinion@colombiaspectador.com!
