Dictionary.com chose “existential” as its Word of the Year for 2019.

It explained that the word “captures a sense of grappling with the survival – literally and figuratively - of our planet, our loved ones, our ways of life.”

The adjective can be defined in two ways: Of, or relating to, existence – or concerned with the nature of human existence as determined by the individual's freely made choices.

According to Dictionary.com, the word "inspires us to ask big questions about who we are and what our purpose is in the face of our various challenges.”