THE 'political awakening' of the millennial generation has given the world its 'word of the year'.

Oxford Dictionaries has named 'youthquake' as the most influential word of 2017 after a fivefold increase in its usage.

Defined by the dictionary as 'a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people', the word beat off competition from 'Brokflake' and 'newsjacking' to take the accolade.

It was chosen after young voters in the general election helped Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party gain a surprising number of seats, forcing the Conservatives to lose their parliamentary majority.

Similar waves of youthful enthusiasm for politics have been seen in New Zealand and France in 2017.

The dictionary said the word 'certainly highlights the increased awareness of young people’s capacity to influence, and even drive, political change.'

Youthquake actually has a history dating back to the 1960s when it was used by then-Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, to describe how British youth culture was changing the world’s fashion and music.

It was used 401 per cent more this year compared to last.

The word of the year is chosen annually with dictionary experts choosing the one that best captures the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year.

Susie Dent, consultant to Oxford Dictionaries, said: In youthquake we find some hope in the power to change things, and had a little bit of linguistic fun along the way. It feels like the right note on which to end a difficult and divisive year.’