Merriam-Webster dictionary announces that its word of the year for 2017 is "feminism" on Dec. 12, 2017. (Credit: Merriam-Webster)

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Merriam-Webster dictionary on Tuesday announced its word of the year for 2017 is "feminism".

"Feminism" was the word most looked up in its online dictionary throughout the year, generating 70 percent more searches than last year, said Merriam-Webster.

The word is defined in Merriam-Webster as "the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes" and as the "organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests."

Two women participate in the Women's March protesting Trump's presidency following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, in Washington D.C., the United States, Jan. 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

The word spiked after the Women's March in Washington D.C., together with sister marches across the United States and around the world on Jan. 21, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump's inauguration.

People attend the Women's March to protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's humiliation of women in downtown Vancouver, Canada, Jan. 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Liang Sen)

It has surged again in the dictionary's online searches since October when the "#MeToo" social media movement kicked off in the wake of explosive reports about Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein's years of abusive behavior.

Protesters hold placards during the Women's March in London, England on Jan. 21, 2017. The Women's March originated in Washington DC but soon spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

Since then, tens of thousands of women from all over the world have broken their long-term silence about sexual abuse by powerful men in the worlds of entertainment, media, business and politics.