Do Words Of The Year Really Mean Anything?

If you’ve seen headlines announcing a 2025 “word of the year,” you aren’t alone in asking: do we need another one? This year’s picks weren’t even unanimous — Collins picked “vibe coding,” Cambridge Dictionaries chose “parasocial,” and Oxford University Press went for “rage bait.” The practice began about 35 years ago with the American Dialect Society and migrated across the Atlantic in the mid-2000s. Since then, it’s become a regular fixture for publishers and dictionaries — almost like an awards night for language. Some lexicographers say there’s an expectation to name a winner; others admit the final selections often aim to spark conversation as much as to reflect linguistic shifts. Data analysis by the Guardian shows why online life dominates the shortlist. Looking at words chosen since 2010, over a third owe their origins to internet slang or digital technology — and that share jumps to roughly two-thirds for selections from 2021 onwards. That’s no surprise to linguists who point out that the web accelerates how quickly new words spread and become visible. But visibility doesn’t guarantee staying power. Several recent winners have faded fast. Oxford’s 2022 choice, “goblin mode,” once a social-media favourite, is now seldom used. Cambridge’s 2018 pick “nomophobia” — fear of being without a phone — barely registers in everyday speech. Collins’s 2021 selection “NFT” and Oxford’s 2017 “youthquake” have declined dramatically in usage, down by 96% and 92% respectively in the News on the Web corpus. Some short shelf lives make sense. Terms tied to specific events — think Brexit, vax or quarantine — reflected intense moments in public life even if the urgent conversation moved on. Other entries wax and wane with political and social trends; a phrase can feel vital one year and quaint the next. Experts differ on what the exercise should aim to do. Some view it as a publicity tool that deliberately picks eye-catching candidates; others defend it as a useful snapshot of a moment in time. An Oxford editor argues longevity isn’t the point — words are chosen because they tell us something about the year they represent. And for some linguists, the annual ritual is a handy way to get younger people talking about language. So what should you take away? Words of the year are less academic verdict and more cultural spotlight. They won’t always survive our daily talk, but they do reveal how fast language is being shaped by online life — and how dictionaries now juggle scholarship with storytelling. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.theguardian.com | Read original article