Nov. 26 (UPI) -- The word "Demure" was picked as the 2024 "Word of the Year" by Dictionary.com after it gained notoriety this year on TikTok.

The selection signifies "pivotal moments" in both language and culture, Dictionary said Monday. It's a "linguistic time capsule" that reflects "social trends and global events" that had in their view "defined the year."

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"Demure" went viral on the social media platform TikTok after transgender content creator Jools LeBron coined the phrase "very demure, very mindful" in a series of videos.

In August, "demure" saw a 1,200% spike in usage on digital platforms with Google searches soaring roughly 14 times the week of Aug. 18, in large part due to LeBron's string of videos. And searches for the word on Dictionary.com reportedly were 200% higher at that peak versus earlier in the year.

@commentforum @Jools Lebron #demureoriginal #verydemure #verymindful #demure ♬ original sound - commentson

According to Dictionary.com, the word of the year "isn't just about popular usage," but "reveals the stories we tell about ourselves and how we've changed over the year."

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And it was for those reasons why 'demure' was chosen, it added.

Dictionary pointed to how although the term "demure" has traditionally been used to describe those who are "reserved, quiet or modest," the new usage of the word spread through social media in a different connotation.

LeBron paired "demure" with other words like "cutesy" and "considerate" in her videos.

On the shortlist were the words "brainrot," "brat," Extreme weather, Midwest Nice and Weird.

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