With an expanded definition to reflect the times, Merriam-Webster has declared an omnipresent truth as its 2021 word of the year: “vaccine.”

“This was a word that was extremely high in our data every single day in 2021,” Peter Sokolowski, the dictionary’s editor-at-large, told The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s announcement.

“It really represents two different stories. One is the science story, which is this remarkable speed with which the vaccines were developed. But there’s also the debates regarding policy, politics and political affiliation. It’s one word that carries these two huge stories.”

U.S. designer Virgil Abloh, a leading fashion executive hailed as the Karl Lagerfeld of his generation, has died after a private battle with cancer. He was 41.

Abloh’s death was announced Sunday by the luxury group LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) and the Off-White label, the brand Abloh founded. Abloh was the men’s wear designer of Louis Vuitton.

“We are all shocked after this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom,” Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH, said in a statement.

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