Words of the Year 2025

Having written about it for the past two years, I was curious about the 2025 Word of the Year, so I did some research. Let's take a look at the words chosen by various organisations, why they were chosen, and what they mean. This will give us a general idea of the direction in which the world is heading and the prevailing mindset.

You can read my articles on the words of 2023 and 2024 if you would like to find out more.

As the final months of the year approach, I have been reading about this year's events on a variety of topics. This has evoked a sense of nostalgia, as I have briefly reflected on the year and instantly recalled all the positive and negative events that we have experienced, both individually and collectively. One of the topics I tackled when I started writing my articles at the end of 2023 was identifying the words that defined the year.

Some well-established dictionaries have been doing this for years. Some publish words on a global scale, some on a country-by-country basis and some publish local words. Some select them through committees, while others use public votes. As I write this, the shortlists from Dictionary.com and Collins Dictionary have been announced. The others will be announced shortly. If you're curious, visit the Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster and Oxford websites soon to find out. The words haven't been announced yet.

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Although there are many dictionary websites with different selections of words, I examine each one carefully. I believe that among them, there may be keywords that reflect the world's current psychological state.

On this page, where they are all displayed together, there are selections from more than eight long-standing organisations. When considering which word(s) would have an impact throughout the year, I realise how difficult it is to choose. Therefore, it is only natural that words are put forward from different perspectives. Nevertheless, when I look at the page, some topics stand out.

You know, certain periods — usually spanning ten years — are given names and remembered for their notable innovations. These periods are remembered and discussed in connection with significant developments. Take the 2000s, for example. We affectionately refer to this period as the millennium because it was a time when the transition to the digital age could be felt everywhere. Technological developments were making their presence felt in one form or another all over the world. As expected, relevant words, phrases, and expressions took root in the public consciousness and became normalised. After all, anything different from the past needed a new name.

This attitude does not change, of course. We know that the inevitability of change is reflected in reality, the mind and language. Popular situations, events, people and innovations play an active role in shaping this reality.

However, I believe the following play the biggest role in selecting these words: The internet, which has evolved into social media over the last ten to fifteen years; the USA, which dominates globally due to its effective use of media and pursuit of popularity; the generations for whom the world they were born into feels natural; politics, a universally relevant topic; and economics, with which everyone interacts in some way every day.

While all these factors are important, I believe the internet is definitely the main influence. This is because its content encompasses and directly influences the others. This explains why most words in recent years are either internet-related or linked to content shared through it. If there were a word of the century, it would undoubtedly be “internet”, just as the internet is the invention of the century.

---

Let's slowly work our way through the announced words. First, I would like to quickly remind you of some words selected in 2024, without going into detail.

• Cambridge Dictionary (committee selection): “Manifest”, related to the internet, social media and generation. (The 2025 word will probably be announced towards the end of November.)

• Collins English Dictionary (committee selection): “Brat”. Related to the internet, social media, and generation. (The 2025 words have been announced and I will discuss them in detail below.)

• Dictionary.com (committee selection): “Demure”. Related to the internet/social media. (The 2025 words are known, and I will briefly discuss them below.)

• Merriam-Webster (committee selection): “Polarisation”. Related to politics. (The 2025 word will likely be announced in late November or mid-December).

• Oxford (public selection): “Brain rot”. Related to the internet, social media, and a particular generation. (The 2025 word will likely be announced in late November or mid-December).

---

Now, let's move on to this year. As I mentioned, two source lists had been shared by the time this article was published. Collins and Dictionary. I have chosen to focus on the Collins list, as covering both would take too long. Collins has compiled a shortlist of ten words. I will reveal the winner at the end.

Collins' shortlist is as follows:

• Aura farming:

Definition: “the deliberate cultivation of a distinctive and charismatic persona”.

It's a word that has emerged from social media and generational influences. We all know what “memes” are now. These are comments conveyed through short videos or images that seem unrelated to those unfamiliar with them at first, but which have an additional meaning. They now form the basis of all social media. This is one of them. I know it's used to mean “looking cool without much effort”. “Aura” is a character-specific impression, whereas “farming” involves investing time to achieve something. I would translate it as “a calm display of self-confidence”. Since the norm on social media is to effortlessly play a role while appearing to know everything about every topic, it's common to come across this word. I'm not saying that the younger generation is the best at this, but they are the ones who identify with it. This is inevitable, after all.

• Biohacking:

Definition: “the activity of altering the natural processes of one's body in an attempt to improve one's health and longevity”.

As can be seen, it is a combination of “bio” (meaning “living”) and “hacking” (the process of transforming something ordinary). But what does the word mean? It refers to people's efforts to "improve their health" using various methods, as well as the marketing of unusual and questionable cleaning and care products on social media. We all know those “slimming” teas. How delicious! Look how slim I've become! Thirty kilos in three days! I've already booked a chiropractic appointment for the end of the week.

• Broligarchy:

Explanation: “a small clique of very wealthy men who exert political influence”.

Here's another easy-to-understand word: a combination of “brother” and “oligarchy”. You can find the definition of oligarchy above. Here, the emphasis is on male dominance. This time, the focus is on both politics and economics. These are the people who come to mind when you think of the world's richest individuals. So why “bro”? Not because they love each other, of course. As seen on the news, these wealthy individuals, particularly the Americans, took their places in the front rows at the presidential inauguration. They all sat together like brothers. The "rich brothers" will burn anyone who wrongs them.

• Clanker:

Definition: “a derogatory term for a computer, robot, or source of artificial intelligence”.

“Blimey! Why are we criticising technology for no reason?” Well, everyone's making robots these days. Even drones from a few years ago have become outdated and obsolete. Unmanned aerial vehicles, which had a significant impact on warfare, are also losing their status as the latest technological marvel. It's like not being able to understand your teenage relative's speech or make sense of their behaviour. I'm exaggerating, of course, drones are still current. But yes, robots that deliver food or perform agile manoeuvres are becoming normalised around the world. I won't even mention artificial intelligence, which is ageing rapidly yet somehow keeps being reborn. Now imagine being integrated with these robots that will become part of our daily lives. You'll search your queries while they are folding your laundry. But never let them take over and if necessary, insult them by calling them “clank”, the sound made by metal objects hitting each other. Warning: Excessive use of “cl*nker” may soon be considered profanity under upcoming robot legislation. (This feels like a 2035 news story) I'll play it safe and self-censor myself now.

• Coolcation:

Definition: “a holiday in a place with a cool climate”.

Oh dear! We've finally stumbled upon a decent, refreshing word. However, it originates from social media, which we love but can't seem to tear ourselves away from, despite constantly criticising it. With everywhere outside our circle packed with tourists and apps encouraging ostentation, our “influencer” friends grew tired of the usual places and preferred the more flashy ones. Thankfully, cats are wonderful, and Istanbul is still a “cool vacation location”. I hope so anyway.

• Glaze:

Definition: “to praise or flatter (someone) excessively or undeservedly”.

If you're thinking, “This word already has a meaning! Isn't it the shiny coating they put on doughnuts?", then you have a sweet tooth just like mine! The first meaning is “a thin liquid layer applied to pottery that hardens and becomes shiny in the kiln”. After all, doughnuts and pots are valuable items, so we apply a transparent glaze to make them more appealing. When we use this word verbally, we're simply being flattering. As you might expect, this word also comes from where you'd think. Let's remember: Not everyone is wonderful and that's human nature, friends. But in Socialmedialand, beauty is defined differently. I couldn't resist mentioning it again.

• HENRY:

Definition: “High earner, not rich yet: a person who has not accumulated substantial wealth from their high income due to their lifestyle or external financial demands”.

“Come on, it's a name!” “Yes, I agree, but that's Henry, not “HENRY”. The explanation is clear so there's no need to say more. I'm hearing this for the first time; economics is not my strong point. It seems I'll never be a HENRY. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. They haven't explained why it's capitalised or where the name comes from. Sometimes certain names are used instead of a word, you know? This is probably one of those cases.

• Micro-retirement:

Definition: “a break taken between periods of employment in order to pursue personal interests”.

This activity appeals to HENRYs. They enjoy taking frequent breaks to spend money, pursue their hobbies, and avoid work-related stress. This resembles the constant job-hopping of the full-time working population. In our country, this is out of necessity rather than choice. Moreover, there is constant work and little personal time. The concept of a normal retirement, or anything like it, is unreasonable for us. Let's move on.

• Taskmasking:

Definition: “the act of giving a false impression that one is being productive in the workplace”.

You know those colleagues who send two or three emails a day and always look tired? Well, now you can use a more polite term for them now: “taskmasking individuals”. That way, they won't think they're superheroes, right? See how we accidentally “glazed” them?

Winning word:

• Vibe coding:

definition: “the use of artificial intelligence prompted by natural language to assist with the writing of computer code”.

This is the current impact of artificial intelligence. If you've come across articles with titles such as “Now anyone can write code!”, they are all referring to “vibe coding” in some way. “Vibe” represents a mood or feeling, usually positive. The idea is to use artificial intelligence to make writing code less daunting and time-consuming and to create software based on feelings rather than logical structure. This will probably be anathema to those whose lives revolve around coding. So, it's a topic ripe for debate. It's similar to the debate about whether books, pictures or music can be created with AI, but this topic is likely to spark an even more heated debate.

Photo by Yannick Pipke on Unsplash

Now, without going into detail as above, let's list the shortlist and winner of the Dictionary site:

• Agentic (A term used to describe artificial intelligence and technologies that can fulfil requirements and make decisions independently - Technology-based)

• Aura farming (As mentioned above)

• Broligarchy (As mentioned above)

• Clanker (As mentioned above)

• Dynamite Emoji (Emerged due to celebrities, highly transient, its inclusion on the list is absurd - US and social media-based)

• Gen Z stare (Refers to the vacant or expressionless gaze of Generation Z - Social media and generation-based)

• Kiss cam (It is a camera tracking system that has been used for a long time, particularly in the US, to entertain crowds at sporting events by encouraging couples to kiss on camera. You may recall the incident at a Coldplay concert that went viral. It is mentioned here because it received more attention than usual - US and social media-based)

• Overtourism (An excessive influx of tourists to popular destinations can lead to environmental pressure, cultural degradation and local discontent. However, Collins proposed a similar term, "anti-tourism", in 2024 - Culture, economy and social media-based)

• Tariff (This term was constantly in the news during that period due to the new tariffs included in the trade agreements between the US and its partners in April 2025 - US, policy and economy-based)

• Tradwife (The term “traditional wife” has been revived to represent a subculture that is characterised by domestic and conservative values - Culture and social media-based)

The winning “word”:

• 6-7 (Six, seven. I don't think I'll be referring to this dictionary next year. This “word” has no meaning whatsoever! It's a meme. Its definition is utterly meaningless: "Perhaps the most distinctive feature of 67 is that it is impossible to define. It is meaningless, ubiquitous and illogical.” I've come across this meme a lot lately. No one really knows what it means, yet people still use it - Social media and generation-based)

---

As can be seen, new concepts enter the language in the form of neologisms or compound words, while existing concepts acquire new meanings. This process, known as neologisation, enriches a language's vocabulary in response to current events. Which words will you use to describe life in 2025, both individually and socially?