Collins Dictionary has recognised the word "non-binary", whilst also naming "climate strike" as its Word of the Year 2019.

The additions mark a year in which Sam Smith came out as non-binary and 16-year-old Greta Thunberg launched a global environmental movement.

The dictionary said it added the term "non-binary" in recognition of "changes in how people relate to each other and define themselves".

A person who identifies as non-binary does not define themselves exclusively as masculine or feminine and generally prefers they/them pronouns, rather than he/she.

Collins defines non-binary, which can also be spelled nonbinary, as "relating to a gender or sexual identity that does not conform to the binary categories of male or female, heterosexual or homosexual".

Pop star Smith came out as non-binary this year, sparking a debate over gender and sexuality, and was among the first celebrities to ask the public to refer to them using they/them pronouns.

Other stars who identify as non-binary include Me Too campaigner Rose McGowan, Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness, drag queen Courtney Act and musician Grimes.

Miley Cyrus and Cara Delevingne, however, identify as genderfluid, which differs from non-binary in that the person does not identify as having a fixed gender.

LGBT charity Stonewall's director of campaigns Laura Russell hailed the move to recognise the term.

She told the PA news agency: "It's great that Collins will officially be adding non-binary to their dictionary.

"Non-binary people have always existed in every community, so it's important more organisations and people use language that includes everyone and recognises who they are."

In a similar move, Collins has recognised the term bopo, short for body positivity, a movement which advocates people being proud of their bodies whatever their shape or size.

Climate strikes are part of a snowballing movement sparked by Thunberg's school strikes outside the Swedish parliament.

The term was first registered by Collins' lexicographers in November 2015 when the first event of its kind took place during the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris.

The term was used on average 100 times more in 2019 than the previous year.

The rest of the words in this year’s shortlist:

bopo (ˈbəʊpəʊ) noun also spelt BoPo: a movement advocating the view that people should be proud of the appearance of their bodies, or any aspect of this, especially size

cancel (ˈkænsəl) verb: to publicly cease to acknowledge a person, organization, etc, esp on social media, in order to express disapproval of their activities or opinions

deepfake (ˈdiːpˌfeɪk) noun, verb: (noun) a technique by which a digital image or video can be superimposed onto another, which maintains the appearance of an unedited image or video; (verb) to superimpose one digital image or video onto another so that it maintains the appearance of an unedited image or video

double down (ˈdʌbəl daʊn) phrasal verb: to reinforce one’s commitment to a venture or idea in spite of opposition or risk

entryist (ˈɛntrɪɪst) noun, adjective: (noun) a person who joins an existing political party with the intention of changing its principles and policies; (adjective) relating to the practice of joining an existing political party with the intention of changing its principles and policies

hopepunk (ˈhəʊpˌpʌŋk) noun: a literary and artistic movement that celebrates the pursuit of positive aims in the face of adversity

influencer (ˈɪnflʊənsə) noun: a person who uses social media to promote lifestyle choices, commercial products, etc to his or her followers

nonbinary (ˌnɒnˈbaɪnərɪ) adjective. Also spelt non-binary: relating to a gender or sexual identity that does not conform to the binary categories of male or female, heterosexual or homosexual

rewilding (riːˈwaɪldɪŋ) noun: the practice of returning areas of land to a wild state, including the reintroduction of animal species that are no longer naturally found there

All the words of the year can be found on CollinsDictionary.com, and will be considered for future print editions.