'Fake news' named Collins' Word of the Year 2017

Beyond Collins' definition, the president often employs the phrase for negative or unfavourable coverage. Credit: PA

Donald Trump’s favourite catchphrase has been named Collins' Word of the Year 2017.

The use of “fake news,” defined by Collins as "false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting," has spiked 365% since 2016.

It will now be added to the next print edition of Collins Dictionary.

Beyond Collins' definition, the president often employs the phrase for negative or unfavourable coverage.

Other significant words that have entered the lexicon in past year include "antifa" and "echo chamber."

"Corbynmania," which first appeared in 2015, enjoyed a resurgence in 2017 thanks to general election.

"Much of this year's list is definitely politically charged, but with a new president in the US and a snap election in the UK it is perhaps no surprise that politics continues to electrify the language,” said Helen Newstead, Collins' head of language content

"'Fake news', either as a statement of fact or as an accusation, has been inescapable this year, contributing to the undermining of society's trust in news reporting: given the term's ubiquity and its regular usage by President Trump, it is clear that Collins' Word of the Year 'fake news' is very real news."

Other notable words include "gender fluid," "fidget spinner," "cuffing season" and "Gig economy."