DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

6 February 2026
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Local elections
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Politics
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Local elections
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Anderhalvemetersamenleving is Van Dale’s word of 2020

December 15, 2020
Sign in Amsterdam's Vondelpark Coronavirus COVID-19 October 2020 Credit: DutchNews.nl
An illustration for word of the year. Photo: DutchNews.nl

Anderhalvemetersamenleving, or one-and-a-half-meter-society, is this year’s word of the year, according to the makers of the Van Dale dictionaries.

Anderhalvemetersamenleving took almost 30% of the vote in the poll, which was dominated by words related to coronavirus. In total, 12,000 people took part in the vote.

Second on the list was fabeltjesfuik (nonsense trap) which was invented by comedian Arjen Lubach to indicate the online parallel world inhabited by conspiracy theorists. It took 11% of the vote.

In third place was viruswappie used to describe people who deny the seriousness of the pandemic.

Last year’s winner was boomer.

Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Society
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Yesilgöz to become defence minister, Heinen stays at finance
Coalition cabinet: 18 ministers and 10 juniors in new line-up
10 Dutch councils fined for spying on Muslim communities
Fees for electric car charging stations vary enormously: ANWB
The art of transformation: Rijksmuseum inspired by Ovid's myths
NewsHomeEconomyPoliticsArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingLocal elections
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2026 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you with up-to-date news about this month's Dutch general election.

Our thanks to everyone who donates regularly to Dutch News. It costs money to produce our daily news service, our original features and daily newsletters, and we could not do it without you.

If you have not yet made a donation, or did so a while ago, you can do so via these links

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now