The term
"alternative facts" has been elected "Unwort des Jahres" 2017
The jury looks for certain formulations in public communication, which violate factual adequacy, or humanity. The words also should be up-to-date, and the context has to be documented. The list of notable quotes consists of phrases that are "revealing the spirit of the time".
"The term "alternative facts" is the faking and deceptive expression for the attempt, to make lies socially acceptable and a legitimate means in public debates."
"Since then, also in Germany this term has become a synonym and symbol for an alarming trend in the public use of language, especially in the social media [...], it stands for the spreading practice to replace arguments based on facts, with non-attestable claims.
The word had been coined by Trump's adviser, Kellyanne Conway:
“You’re saying it’s a falsehood. And they’re giving — Sean Spicer, our press secretary, gave alternative facts to that”