Reflecting the increased use of emoticons as a communication method, Oxford Dictionaries has chosen one particular emoji as its word of the year for the first time.
The emoji, officially called the "Face with Tears of Joy," depicts a half-crying, half-smiling expression. It beat out candidates such as "refugee," "sharing economy," "Brexit" and "on fleek," an informal phrase originating in the U.S. and meaning extremely good, attractive or stylish.
"This year, instead of choosing a traditional word, Oxford Dictionaries has chosen a pictograph . . . to reflect the sharp increase in popularity of emoji across the world in 2015," Oxford University Press, which oversees Oxford Dictionaries, said in a statement Tuesday.