Russian election influence, the ever-widening sexual harassment scandal, mass shootings and the opioid epidemic helped elevate the word "complicit" as Dictionary.com's word of the year for 2017. "Complicit has sprung up in conversations about those who speak out against powerful figures in institutions, and those who stay silent." That was the day after "Saturday Night Live" aired a sketch starring Scarlett Johansson as Ivanka Trump in a glittery gold dress peddling a fragrance called "Complicit" because: "She's beautiful, she's powerful, she's complicit." Solomon noted that neither she nor Dictionary.com can know what sends people to dictionaries or dictionary sites to look up "complicit" or any other word. As for "complicit," she said several other major events contributed to interest in the word.

Source: ABC News November 27, 2017 18:00 UTC