Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is one that the dictionary suggests unifies both sides of the aisle.

The dictionary publisher said Monday that “polarization” is its 2024 word of the year, defining it as “division into two sharply distinct opposites; especially, a state in which the opinions, beliefs, or interests of a group or society no longer range along a continuum but become concentrated at opposing extremes.”

The announcement comes on the heels of a heated election race,…