word of the year#Oxford

{{short description|Most important word or expression in the public sphere during a specific year}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}

The word(s) of the year, sometimes capitalized as "Word(s) of the Year" and abbreviated "WOTY" (or "WotY"), refers to any of various assessments as to the most important word(s) or expression(s) in the public sphere during a specific year.

The German tradition Wort des Jahres was started in 1971. In 1999 it was supplemented with the Austrian word of the year to express the pluricentric nature of German and its multiple standards varieties.{{cite web | url=http://www-oedt.kfunigraz.ac.at/oewort/1999/jhdwort.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402163301/http://www-oedt.kfunigraz.ac.at/oewort/1999/jhdwort.htm | archive-date=April 2, 2015 | title=Jhdwort }}Muhr, Rudolf. 2024. Wort in der Zeit — Zeit im Wort: 25 Jahre Österreichisches Wort des Jahres. Graz: PCL-Press. https://pcl-press.org/publications/wort-in-der-zeit-zeit-im-wort-25-jahre-oesterreichisches-wort-des-jahres-ein-bericht/

The American Dialect Society's Word of the Year is the oldest English-language version, and the only one that is announced after the end of the calendar year, determined by a vote of independent linguists, and not tied to commercial interest.{{Citation needed|date=December 2014}} However, various other organizations also announce Words of the Year for a variety of purposes.

American Dialect Society

{{main|List of American Dialect Society's Words of the Year}}

Since 1990, the American Dialect Society (ADS) has designated one or more words or terms to be the "Word of the Year" in the United States. In addition to the "Word of the Year", the society also selects words in other categories such as "Most Outrageous," "Most Creative," and "Most Likely to Succeed."

class="wikitable sortable"

!Year

!Word of the Year

!Notes

1990

|bushlips

|

1991

|mother of all –

|

1992

|Not!

|

1993

|information superhighway

|

1994

|Tie: cyber and morph

|

1995

|Tie: World Wide Web and newt

|

1996

|mom

|Emergence of voting blocs like "soccer moms".

1997

|millennium bug

|

1998

|e-

|

1999

|Y2K

|

2000

|chad

|Cause of a recount in the 2000 US election

2001

|9-11, 9/11 or September 11

|

2002

|weapons of mass destruction or WMD

|

2003

|metrosexual

|

2004

|red/blue/purple states

|

2005

|truthiness

|

2006

|to be plutoed, to pluto

|

2007

|subprime

|Subprime mortgage crisis that started in 2007

2008

|bailout

|Bank bailout of 2008

2009

|tweet

|

2010

|app

|

2011

|occupy

|

2012

|#hashtag

|

2013

|because

|

2014

|#blacklivesmatter

|

2015

|they

|

2016

|dumpster fire

|

2017

|fake news

|

2018

|tender-age shelter

|

2019

|(my) pronouns

|

2020

|Covid

|

2021

|Insurrection

|

2022

|-ussy

|

2023

|enshittification

|

2024

|rawdog

|

Australian National Dictionary Centre

The Australian National Dictionary Centre has announced a Word of the Year each since 2006. The word is chosen by the editorial staff, and is selected on the basis of having come to some prominence in the Australian social and cultural landscape during the year.{{Cite web|url=http://ozwords.org/?p=8168|title=Australian National Dictionary Centre's Word of the Year 2016 {{!}} Ozwords|website=ozwords.org|language=en-US|access-date=October 14, 2017}} The Word of the Year is often reported in the media as being Australia's word of the year,{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-38311263|title=What exactly is a democracy sausage?|date=December 14, 2016|work=BBC News|access-date=October 14, 2017|language=en-GB}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-10/shirtfront-named-australias-word-of-the-year/5956328|title='Shirtfront' named Australia's word of the year|date=December 10, 2014|work=ABC News|access-date=October 14, 2017|language=en-AU}} but the word is not always an Australian word.

class="wikitable"

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!Year

!Word of the Year

2006

|podcast

2007

|me-tooism

2008

|GFC

2009

|Twitter

2010

|vuvuzela

2011

|

2012

|green-on-blue

2013

|bitcoin{{Cite web |last1=Communications |first1=CASS Marketing & |last2=externalrelations.cass@anu.edu.au |date=2013-12-23 |title=Bitcoin 2013 word of the year |url=https://cass.anu.edu.au/news/bitcoin-2013-word-year |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences |language=en-AU}}

2014

|shirtfront{{Cite web |last=Ireland |first=Judith |date=2014-12-10 |title='Shirtfront' wins Australian National Dictionary Centre's word of the year award |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/shirtfront-wins-australian-national-dictionary-centres-word-of-the-year-award-20141210-123z2i.html |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}

2015

|sharing economy

2016

|democracy sausage

2017

|Kwaussie

2018

|Canberra bubble

2019

|Voice

2020

|iso

2021

|strollout

2022

|teal

2023

|Matilda

2024

|Colesworth{{Cite news |date=2024-11-19 |title=Word of the Year reflects increasing frustration with Australia's top supermarkets |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-20/australian-national-dictionary-centre-colesworth-word-year-2024/104620390 |access-date=2024-11-20 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}

''Cambridge Dictionary''

The Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year, by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, has been published every year since 2015.{{cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/editorial/woty |access-date=2023-09-21| title=The Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year 20** is ...}} The word if chosen based on "user data, zeitgeist, and language."{{Cite web |last=Guy |first=Jack |date=2024-11-20 |title=Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year 2024 is all about thinking positive |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/20/uk/cambridge-word-of-year-2024-scli-intl-gbr/index.html |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=CNN |language=en}}

In 2024, Cambridge picked "manifest" as its Word of the Year. Traditionally, the word has been used as an adjective meaning "obvious", or as a verb meaning "to show something clearly through signs or actions". The word was chosen owing to its use by celebrities, particularly on social media, as a verb meaning "to imagine achieving something you want, in the belief doing so will make it more likely to happen".{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c774mzyrp84o | title='Manifest': Cambridge Dictionary Word of the Year |first =Katy | last =Prickett | website=BBC News | date=November 20, 2024 }}

class="wikitable"

|+

!Year

!Word of the Year

!Note

2015

|austerity

|

2016

|paranoid

|Uncertainty surrounding global events.

2017

|populism

|

2018

|nomophobia

|

2019

|upcycling

|

2020

|quarantine{{cite news |title=Cambridge Dictionary's Word of the Year is 'quarantine' |newspaper=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/books/features/cambridge-dictionarys-word-of-the-year-is-quarantine/articleshow/79452959.cms}}

|Worldwide lockdowns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021

|perseverance{{cite web |date=November 17, 2021 |title='Perseverance' named Cambridge Dictionary's word of the year |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/perseverance-cambridge-dictionary-word-year-b1959162.html |website=Independent.co.uk}}

|Deployment of NASA Mars rover Perseverance, as well as societal recovery after COVID-19.

2022

|homer

|The answer to a difficult Wordle puzzle.

2023

|''hallucinate{{cite web |date=November 15, 2023 |title=Cambridge Dictionary reveals word of the year for 2023 |website=Independent.co.uk |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cambridge-dictionary-word-of-year-b2447554.html}}

|Referring to AI hallucinations: erroneous material generated by AI.

2024

|manifest{{cite web |date=November 20, 2024 |title=

Celebrities make 'manifest' appear as 2024 word of the year |website=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/nov/20/celebrities-make-manifest-appear-as-2024-word-of-the-year| first =Esther |last =Addler}}

|

''Collins English Dictionary''

The Collins English Dictionary has announced a Word of the Year every year since 2013, and prior to this, announced a new 'word of the month' each month in 2012. Published in Glasgow, UK, Collins English Dictionary has been publishing English dictionaries since 1819.{{Cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english|title=Collins English Dictionary {{!}} Definitions, Translations and Pronunciations|website=www.collinsdictionary.com|language=en|access-date=October 11, 2018}}

Toward the end of each calendar year, Collins release a shortlist of notable words or those that have come to prominence in the previous 12 months. The shortlist typically comprises ten words, though in 2014 only four words were announced as the Word of the Year shortlist.

The Collins Words of the Year are selected by the Collins Dictionary team across Glasgow and London, consisting of lexicographers, editorial, marketing, and publicity staff, though previously the selection process has been open to the public.

Whilst the word is not required to be new to feature, the appearance of words in the list is often supported by usage statistics and cross-reference against Collins' extensive corpus to understand how language may have changed or developed in the previous year. The Collins Word of the Year is also not restricted to UK language usage, and words are often chosen that apply internationally as well, for example, fake news in 2017.{{Citation|last=Collins Dictionary|title=Collins Dictionary announce their 2017 Word of the Year|date=November 1, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF8feDHBTV8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/YF8feDHBTV8| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|access-date=October 11, 2018}}{{cbignore}}

class="wikitable"

|+

!Year

!Word of the Year

!Shortlist

2013{{Cite web |date=December 12, 2013 |title=Collins Word of the Year 2013 is... – New on the blog – Word Lover's blog – Collins Dictionary |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/word-lovers-blog/new/collins-word-of-the-year-2013-is,85,HCB.html |access-date=October 11, 2018 |website=www.collinsdictionary.com |language=en}}

|geek{{Cite web |last=Topping |first=Alexandra |date=December 16, 2013 |title=Geek deemed word of the year by the Collins online dictionary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/dec/16/geek-word-year-collins-dictionary-definition |access-date=October 11, 2018 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

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2014{{Cite web |last=susanwright |date=2014-11-05 |title=The year that was...Lucy Mangan looks at the Collins Word of the Year shortlist |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/the-year-that-was-lucy-mangan-looks-at-the-collins-word-of-the-year-shortlist/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Collins Dictionary Language Blog |language=en-GB}}

|photobomb{{Cite news |title=And the Collins English Dictionary word of the year is... |language=en-US |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/and-the-collins-english-dictionary-word-of-the-year-is-1.1974260 |access-date=October 11, 2018}}

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2015{{Cite web |last=susanwright |date=2015-11-05 |title='Binge-watch' - Collins Word of the Year 2015 |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/binge-watch-collins-word-of-the-year-2015/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Collins Dictionary Language Blog |language=en-GB}}

|binge-watch{{Cite news |date=November 5, 2015 |title=Binge-watch: Collins' Word of the Year |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34723515 |access-date=October 11, 2018}}

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2016{{Cite web |title=Top 10 Collins Words of the Year 2016 |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/top-10-collins-words-of-the-year-2016/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=blog.collinsdictionary.com|date=November 3, 2016 }}

|Brexit{{Cite web |title='Brexit' is Collins' Word of the Year 2016 {{!}} The Bookseller |url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/brexit-collins-word-year-2016-425961 |access-date=October 11, 2018 |website=www.thebookseller.com |language=en}}

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2017{{Cite web |last=susanwright |date=2017-11-02 |title=Collins 2017 Word of the Year Shortlist |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/collins-2017-word-of-the-year-shortlist/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Collins Dictionary Language Blog |language=en-GB}}

|fake news{{Cite news |title=Fake news is officially 2017's word of the year |language=en-GB |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fake-news-word-of-the-year-2017-collins-dictionary-donald-trump-kellyanne-conway-antifa-corbynmania-a8032751.html |access-date=October 11, 2018}}

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2018{{Cite web |title=Collins 2018 Word of the Year Shortlist |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/collins-2018-word-of-the-year-shortlist/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=blog.collinsdictionary.com|date=November 7, 2018 }}

|single-use{{Cite news |date=November 7, 2018 |title=Collins Dictionary 2018 word of the year revealed |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/collins-dictionary-2018-word-of-the-year-revealed-1.3688069 |access-date=November 8, 2018}}

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2019{{Cite web |last=susanwright |date=2019-11-07 |title=Collins Word of the Year 2019 shortlist |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/collins-word-of-the-year-2019-shortlist/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Collins Dictionary Language Blog |language=en-GB}}

|climate strike{{Cite web |last=Guy |first=Jack |date=2019-11-07 |title='Climate strike' named Collins' word of the year for 2019 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/07/europe/collins-dictionary-word-year-climate-scli-intl-gbr/index.html |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=CNN |language=en}}

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2020{{Cite web |last=susanwright |date=2020-11-10 |title=The year of lockdown |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/the-year-of-lockdown/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Collins Dictionary Language Blog |language=en-GB}}

|lockdown{{Cite web |title=Collins - the Collins Word of the Year 2020 is |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/woty}}

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2021

|NFT{{Cite web |date=2021-11-24 |title=Get your crypto at the ready: NFTs are big in 2021 |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/get-your-crypto-at-the-ready-nfts-are-big-in-2021/ |access-date=2021-12-18 |website=Collins Dictionary Language Blog |language=en-GB}}

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2022

|permacrisis{{Cite web |last=susanwright |date=2022-11-01 |title=A year of 'permacrisis' |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/a-year-of-permacrisis/ |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=Collins Dictionary Language Blog |language=en-GB}}

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2023

|AI{{Cite web |last=susanwright |date=2023-11-01 |title=The acceleration of AI and other 2023 trends |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/the-acceleration-of-ai-and-other-2023-trends/ |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=Collins Dictionary Language Blog |language=en-GB}}

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2024

|Brat{{Cite web |url=https://blog.collinsdictionary.com/language-lovers/a-year-when-hedonism-and-anxiety-combine/ |access-date=2024-11-01 |website=blog.collinsdictionary.com |title=A year when hedonism and anxiety combine |date=November 2024 }}

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Dictionary.com

In 2010, Dictionary.com announced its first word of the year, 'change', and has done so in December every year since.{{cite web |title=What Dictionary.com's words of the year say about us |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/15/world/words-year-dictionary-com-trnd/index.html |access-date=December 19, 2019 |website=cnn}} The selection is based on search trends on the site throughout the year and the news events that drive them.{{cite web |title=Existential' crowned word of the year by Dictionary.com |url=https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/2019/12/02/existential-crowned-word-of-the-year-by-dictionarycom/ |access-date=December 19, 2019 |website=Click on Detroit}}

The following is the list of annual words since beginning with the first in 2010:

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Word of the Year

2010

|change

2011

|tergiversate

2012

|bluster

2013

|privacy

2014

|exposure

2015

|identity

2016

|xenophobia

2017

|complicit

2018

|misinformation

2019

|existential

2020

|pandemic

2021

|allyship

2022

|woman

2023

|hallucinate

2024

|demure

''Macquarie Dictionary''

The Macquarie Dictionary, which is the dictionary of Australian English, updates the online dictionary each year with new words, phrases, and definitions. These can be viewed on their website.[https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/]

Each year the editors review all new words and definitions that have been added to the dictionary in the past year from which they select a shortlist and invite the public to vote on their favourite. The public vote is held in November and results in the People's Choice winner. The most influential word of the year is also selected by the Word of the Year Committee which comprises the Editorial Team at Macquarie Dictionary along with David Astle and language research specialist Tiger Webb. The Committee meets annually to select the overall winning words.

The following is the list of winning words since the Macquarie Word of the Year first began in 2006:

class="wikitable"
YearCommittee's ChoicePeople's Choice
2006muffin top
2007pod slurpingpassword fatigue
2008toxic debtflashpacker
2009shovel readytweet
2010googlegangershockumentary
2011burqinifracking
2012phantom vibration syndromeFirst World problem
2013infovore{{Cite web |title=The Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year is ... |url=http://theconversation.com/the-macquarie-dictionary-word-of-the-year-is-22522 |access-date=January 19, 2016 |website=The Conversation|date=February 4, 2014 }}onesie
2014mansplain{{Cite web |date=February 5, 2015 |title=Macquarie Dictionary words of the year: 'mansplain' and 'share plate' |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/macquarie-dictionary-words-of-the-year-mansplain-and-share-plate-20150206-137il8.html |access-date=November 18, 2015 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald}}shareplate
2015

|captain's call{{Cite web |title=Tony Abbott's lexical legacy: Captain's call is 2015 Word of the Year |url=https://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tony-abbotts-lexical-legacy-captains-call-is-2015-word-of-the-year-20160120-gmaeiv.html |access-date=January 20, 2016 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald}}

|captain's call{{Cite web |title=Macquarie Dictionary Word of the Year |url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/resources/view/word/of/the/year/ |access-date=March 22, 2016 |website=Macquarie Dictionary}}

2016fake newshalal snack pack
2017

|milkshake duck{{cite news |last=Webb |first=Tiger |date=January 15, 2018 |title=Why 'milkshake duck' is the perfect choice for word of the year |work=ABC News |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-15/why-milkshake-duck-deserves-its-word-of-the-year-win/9323348 |access-date=January 15, 2018}}{{cite web |date=January 15, 2018 |title=The Committee's Choice for Word of the Year 2017 goes to... |url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/news/view/article/495/ |access-date=January 15, 2018 |publisher=Macquarie Dictionary}}

|framily{{cite web |date=January 23, 2018 |title=Committee's Choice and People's Choice announced! |url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/resources/view/word/of/the/year/ |access-date=February 16, 2018 |publisher=Macquarie Dictionary}}

2018

|me too{{cite news |last=Webb |first=Tiger |date=January 15, 2019 |title=Macquarie Dictionary word of the year goes to 'me too', in a year filled with digital uncertainty |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-15/macquarie-word-of-yea-me-too-deepfakes/10713152 |access-date=November 4, 2019}}{{cite web |date=January 15, 2018 |title=The Committee's Choice for Word of the Year 2018 goes to... |url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/news/view/article/495/ |access-date=November 4, 2019 |publisher=Macquarie Dictionary}}

|single-use{{cite web |date=December 19, 2018 |title=Committee's Choice and People's Choice announced! |url=https://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/resources/view/word/of/the/year/ |access-date=November 4, 2019 |publisher=Macquarie Dictionary}}

2019

|cancel culture

|robodebt

2020

|doomscrolling and rona

|Karen and covidiot

2021

|strollout{{Cite web |date=2021-11-29 |title=Strollout chosen as Macquarie dictionary's 2021 word of the year |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/nov/30/strollout-chosen-as-macquarie-dictionarys-2021-word-of-the-year |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}

|strollout

2022

|teal

|bachelor's handbag{{Cite web |title=Australia's word of the year has been revealed |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/word-of-the-year-why-is-teal-significant-and-what-is-a-bachelors-handbag/3dlojw6fr |access-date=2022-11-29 |website=SBS News |language=en}}

2023

|cozzie livs

|generative AI

2024

|enshittification{{cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Lewis |title=Macquarie Dictionary names 'enshittification' as 2024 Word of the Year. But what does it mean? |website=ABC News |date=26 November 2024 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-26/macquarie-dictionary-word-of-the-year-2024/104648884 |access-date=26 November 2024}}

|enshittification

Merriam-Webster

{{Main|Lists of Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year}}

The lists of Merriam-Webster's Words of the Year (for each year) are ten-word lists published annually by the American dictionary-publishing company Merriam-Webster, Inc., which feature the ten words of the year from the English language. These word lists started in 2003 and have been published at the end of each year. At first, Merriam-Webster determined its contents by analyzing page hits and popular searches on its website. Since 2006, the list has been determined by an online poll and by suggestions from visitors to the website.{{cite web

|url= http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-6138377-7.html

|title= Merriam-Webster launches 'Word of the Year' online poll

|publisher=CNET |date=November 27, 2007 |access-date=December 29, 2007

}}

The following is the list of words that became Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year since 2003:{{cite web|title=Word of the Year Archive|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/woy_archive.htm|publisher=Merriam-Webster|access-date=December 30, 2013}}

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Word of the Year

2003

|democracy

2004

|blog

2005

|integrity

2006

|truthiness

2007

|w00t

2008

|bailout

2009

|admonish

2010

|austerity

2011

|pragmatic

2012

|socialism and capitalism

2013

|science

2014

|culture

2015

|-ism

2016

|surreal

2017

|feminism

2018

|justice

2019

|they

2020

|pandemic

2021

|vaccine

2022

|gaslighting

2023

|authentic

2024

|polarization

Oxford

Oxford University Press, which publishes the Oxford English Dictionary and many other dictionaries, announces an Oxford Dictionaries UK Word of the Year and an Oxford Dictionaries US Word of the Year; sometimes these are the same word. The Word of the Year need not have been coined within the past twelve months but it does need to have become prominent or notable during that time. There is no guarantee that the Word of the Year will be included in any Oxford dictionary. The Oxford Dictionaries Words of the Year are selected by editorial staff from each of the Oxford dictionaries. The selection team is made up of lexicographers and consultants to the dictionary team, and editorial, marketing, and publicity staff.[https://web.archive.org/web/20131123132341/http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year-faq Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year: Frequently Asked Questions] (viewed November 20, 2013).

class="wikitable" border="1"
Year

! UK Word of the Year

! US Word of the Year

!Hindi Word of the Year

2004

| colspan="2" | chav

|

2005

| sudoku

| podcast

|

2006

| bovvered

| carbon-neutral

|

2007

| carbon footprint

| locavore

|

2008

| credit crunch

| hypermiling

|

2009

| simples (Compare the Meerkat catchphrase)

| unfriend

|

2010

| big society

| refudiate

|

2011

| colspan="2" | squeezed middle

|

2012

| omnishambles

| GIF (noun)

|

2013

| colspan="2" | selfie[https://web.archive.org/web/20131119180524/http://blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2013/11/word-of-the-year-2013-winner/ The Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2013 is...] (viewed November 20, 2013).

|

2014

| colspan="2"| vape{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/11/18/vape-oxford-word-year/19212351/ |title=Oxford names 'vape' 2014 Word of the Year |work=USA Today |date=November 18, 2014 |access-date=November 18, 2014 |author=Grisham, Lori}}

|

2015

| colspan="2"| 😂 (Face With Tears of Joy, Unicode: U+1F602, part of emoji){{cite web |url=https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2015/ |title=Word of the Year 2015 |work=Oxford Dictionaries |date=November 16, 2015 |access-date=December 28, 2020}}

|

2016

| colspan="2" | post-truth{{Cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year/word-of-the-year-2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116101017/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/word-of-the-year/word-of-the-year-2016|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 16, 2016|title=Word of the Year 2016 is... {{!}} Oxford Dictionaries|website=Oxford Dictionaries {{!}} English|access-date=November 19, 2016}}

|

2017

| colspan="2" |youthquake{{cite web |title=Oxford Word of the Year 2017 |url=https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2017/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216144046/https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2017/ |archive-date=16 December 2019 |website=Oxford Languages |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=9 December 2022}}

|Aadhaar{{efn|First Hindi Word of the Year{{Cite web|last=Gohain|first=Manash Pratim|date=January 28, 2018|title='Aadhaar' is Oxford's first Hindi word of the year|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/aadhaar-is-the-hindi-word-of-the-year-for-2017/articleshow/62673933.cms |access-date=March 13, 2021|website=The Times of India|language=en}}}}

2018

| colspan="2" |toxic{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/11/14/uk/oxford-dictionary-word-of-the-year-toxic-gbr-intl/index.html|title=Toxic: Oxford Dictionaries sums up the mood of 2018 with word of the year|publisher=CNN|date=November 15, 2018|access-date=November 15, 2018}}

|Nari Shakti or Women Power{{Cite web|date=January 27, 2019|title=Nari Shakti Is Oxford Dictionary's Hindi Word Of The Year 2018|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/books/nari-shakti-chosen-as-hindi-word-of-2018-5556748/|access-date=March 13, 2021|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}

2019

| colspan="2" |climate emergency{{cite news |last1=Zhou |first1=Naaman |title=Oxford Dictionaries declares 'climate emergency' the word of 2019 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/21/oxford-dictionaries-declares-climate-emergency-the-word-of-2019 |work=The Guardian |date=November 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191121023002/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/21/oxford-dictionaries-declares-climate-emergency-the-word-of-2019 |archive-date=November 21, 2019 |url-status=live }} "Climate emergency" was named word of the year.

|Samvidhaan or Constitution{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=January 28, 2020|title=Oxford Hindi Word of the Year 2019 is Samvidhaan|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/grammar-vocabulary/story/oxford-hindi-word-of-the-year-2019-is-samvidhaan-1640919-2020-01-28 |access-date=March 13, 2021|website=India Today|language=en}}

2020

| colspan="2" | No single word chosen{{citation|title=Words of an Unprecedented Year|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=November 20, 2020|url=http://v.fastcdn.co/u/2014a5b7/54382502-0-Words-of-an-Unpreced.pdf|url-access=registration|access-date=December 8, 2020}}

  • {{cite web |title=Oxford Word of the Year 2020 |website=Oxford University Press |url=https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2020/}}

|Aatmanirbharta or Self-Reliance{{Cite web|title=Oxford Hindi Word of the Year 2020 {{!}} Oxford Languages|url=https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/hindi-word-of-the-year-2020-en/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313122622/https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/hindi-word-of-the-year-2020-en/|archive-date=March 13, 2021|access-date=March 13, 2021|website=languages.oup.com|language=en-GB|quote=The Oxford Hindi Word of the Year 2020 is… Aatmanirbharta or Self-Reliance.}}

2021

| colspan="2" | vax{{Cite web|date=2021-11-01|title='Vax' Chosen as Word of the Year by Oxford - November 1, 2021|url=https://dailynewsbrief.com/2021/11/01/vax-chosen-as-word-of-the-year-by-oxford/|access-date=2021-11-01|website=Daily News Brief|language=en-US|archive-date=November 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101091626/https://dailynewsbrief.com/2021/11/01/vax-chosen-as-word-of-the-year-by-oxford/|url-status=dead}}

|

2022

| colspan="2" | goblin mode{{Cite news |last=James |first=Imogen |date=2022-12-05 |title=Oxford word of the year 2022 revealed as 'goblin mode' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63857329 |access-date=2022-12-08}}{{cite web |date=2022 |title=Oxford Word of the Year 2022 |url=https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2022/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121132621/https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2022/ |archive-date=21 November 2022 |website=Oxford Languages |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=9 December 2022}}

|

2023

| colspan="2" | rizz{{Cite web |title=Oxford Word of the Year 2023 {{!}} Oxford Languages |url=https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2023/ |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=languages.oup.com |language=en-GB}}

|

2024

| colspan="2" colapan="2" | brain rot{{Cite web |title=Oxford Word of the Year 2024 {{!}} Oxford University Press |url= https://corp.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2024 |access-date=2024-12-02 |website=corp.oup.com |language=en-GB}}

Grant Barrett

Since 2004, lexicographer Grant Barrett has published an unranked words-of-the-year list, usually in The New York Times.{{Cite web |last=Barrett |first=Grant |date=2012-01-01 |title=My Eighth Annual New York Times Words of the Year List – Grant Barrett |url=https://grantbarrett.com/my-eighth-annual-new-york-times-words-of-the-year-list/ |access-date=2025-01-15 |website=grantbarrett.com |language=en-US}}

Similar word lists

=A Word a Year=

Since 2004, Susie Dent, an English lexicographer has published a column, "A Word a Year", in which she chooses a single word from each of the last 101 years to represent preoccupations of the time. Susie Dent notes that the list is subjective.[https://web.archive.org/web/20041025065832/http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/wordayear/?view=uk A Word a Year: 1906–2006][http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/wordfrom/wordayear2005/?view=uk A Word a Year: 1905–2005]{{dead link|date=September 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}[https://archive.today/20120718020534/http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/wordfrom/wordayear2004/?view=uk A Word a Year: 1904–2004] Each year, she gives a completely different set of words.

Since Susie Dent works for the Oxford University Press, her words of choice are often incorrectly referred to as "Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year".

=Other countries=

Austria: {{ill|Word of the year (Austria)|de|Österreichisches Wort des Jahres}}, since 1999

In Germany, a Wort des Jahres has been selected since 1972 (for year 1971) by the Society of the German Language.[http://www.gfds.de/index.php?id=11 German Word of the Year] In addition, an Unwort des Jahres (Un-word of the year or Most Unpleasant Word of the Year) has been nominated since 1991, for a word or phrase in public speech deemed insulting or socially inappropriate (such as "Überfremdung").[http://www.unwortdesjahres.net/ "Unword of the year"] in Germany Similar selections are made each year since 1999 in Austria, 2002 in Liechtenstein, and 2003 in Switzerland. Since 2008, language publisher Langenscheidt supports a search for the German youth word of the year, which aims to find new words entering the language through the vernacular of young people.{{Cite web|date=October 15, 2020|title=This is the German youth word of the year for 2020|url=https://www.thelocal.de/20201015/this-is-the-german-youth-word-of-the-year-for-2020/|access-date=August 15, 2021|website=The Local Germany|language=en-US}}{{Cite news |title=The word of the year (whether we like it or not) |newspaper=The Spectator|url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-word-of-the-year-whether-we-like-it-or-not |access-date=August 15, 2021 |language=en}}

In addition, several German dialects have their own Wort des Jahres selection: :de:Plattdeutsches Wort des Jahres, :de:Wort des Jahres (Sachsen), and :de:Wort des Jahres (Südtirol)

In Denmark, the {{ill|Word of the year (Denmark)|lt=Word of the year|da|Årets ord}} has been selected by {{ill|Mål og Mæle|da}}, a popular science language magazine, during 2006-1012 and since 2009 also by the {{ill|Sproglaboratoriet|da}} radio program of the DR P1 radio channel in collaboration with Dansk Sprognævn (Danish Language Council).

Japan has held an annual word of the year contest called the "{{ill|New Word/Trendy Phrase Award|ja|新語・流行語大賞}}" (Shingo ryūkōgo taishō) since 1984, sponsored by the {{ill|Jiyu Kokuminsha|ja|自由国民社}} publisher (by {{ill|U-CAN|ja|ユーキャン}} since 2004). In addition, the Kanji of the Year (kotoshi no kanji) has been selected since 1995, and both the kanji and the word/phrase of the year often reflect current Japanese events and attitudes. For example, in 2011, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the frustratingly enigmatic phrase used by Japanese officials before the explosion regarding the possibility of a meltdown - "the possibility of recriticality is not zero" (Sairinkai no kanōsei zero de wa nai) - became the top phrase of the year. In the same year, the kanji for "bond" (i.e., family ties or friendship) became the kanji of the year, expressing the importance of collectiveness in the face of disaster.{{Cite book|title=Language and Materiality: Ethnographic and Theoretical Explorations|last=Miller|first=Laura|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2017|location=Cambridge|pages=1–28|chapter=Japan's trendy Word Grand Prix and Kanji of the Year: Commodified language forms in multiple contexts}}

Liechtenstein: {{ill|Word of the year (Liechtenstein)|de|Wort des Jahres (Liechtenstein)}} since 2002

In Norway, the word of the year poll has been carried out since 2012.

In Portugal, the word of the year poll has been carried out since 2009.

In Russia, the word of the year poll has been carried out since 2007.

In Slovenia, the word of the year poll has been carried out since 2016. Each year, it is announced in January together with the SSL (Slovenian Sign Language) gesture of the year.

In Spain, a word of the year has been selected by Fundéu since 2013.

Switzerland: {{ill|Word of the year (Switzerland)|de|Wort des Jahres (Schweiz)}}, since 2003

In Ukraine, the word of the year poll has been carried out since 2013.

In The Netherlands, the dictionary company Van Dale asks people to send in their nominations for the word of the year, it then makes a 10 word shortlist of which people can vote the word of the year. It started doing this since 2007.

See also

Further reading

  • John Ayto, "A Century of New Words", Series: Oxford Paperback Reference (2007) {{ISBN|0-19-921369-0}}
  • John Ayto, "Twentieth Century Words", Oxford University Press (1999) {{ISBN|0-19-860230-8}}

Notes

{{Notelist}}

References

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}