“Teal”, the moniker given to first-time political candidates responsible for ousting a suite of Liberal MPs at the federal election, has been named as Australia’s word of the year for 2022.

Word wonks at Australian National University’s Dictionary Centre said while teal has previously been associated with a dark greenish-blue colour, or even a duck’s wing, it is now synonymous with MPs who ran seeking more integrity in federal politics and action on climate change.