Every year, dictionary publishers choose words that seem to capture something distinctive about the language and culture of the moment. But Word of the Year Trends are not simply a popularity contest. Behind a headline-making selection is usually a combination of usage data, search behavior, corpus evidence, cultural relevance, editorial analysis, and careful interpretation of how people are actually communicating.
That distinction matters because a Word of the Year is not necessarily a newly invented word. Cambridge, for example, chose parasocial for 2025 even though the word had already been added to its dictionary in 2023. Dictionary.com selected 67, a piece of internet and youth slang whose meaning is deliberately difficult to pin down. These very different choices show how much modern English can change—and how many different signals dictionary editors must consider.
What Is a Word of the Year?
A Word of the Year is a word, phrase, expression, or linguistic form selected by an organization because it represents an important feature of a particular year.
There is no single worldwide committee that decides the official Word of the Year for English. Different publishers use different methods and may select completely different words.
Some organizations emphasize search behavior. Others examine language corpora, cultural relevance, media coverage, or changes in meaning. Dictionary.com says its annual selection considers search trends and whether a word describes what the year was about, while Cambridge has described examining search data and linguistic evidence when making its selections.
This means a Word of the Year should be understood as an editorial interpretation of language during a particular period, not as a declaration that one word is objectively the most important word in English.
The Main Criteria Behind the Selection Process
Although methodologies differ, several recurring factors help explain the modern dictionary word of the year selection process.
1. A Significant Change in Usage
Editors may look at how often a term appears and, more importantly, whether its usage has changed noticeably.
A word that suddenly moves from a niche community into mainstream discussion can attract attention even if it is not among the most frequently used words overall.
This is especially visible online, where a term can spread from a small community to millions of users in a short period.
Dictionary.com reported that searches for 67 rose more than sixfold from June 2025 onward before the organization selected it as its 2025 Word of the Year.
2. Search Behavior
Search data gives editors another way to observe linguistic curiosity.
When people repeatedly encounter an unfamiliar expression, they may search for its meaning. A sudden spike can therefore reveal that a term has entered public attention.
Cambridge’s Word of the Year history illustrates this approach. Its editors have discussed examining search patterns, including both overall interest and sudden spikes around particular events.
Search volume alone, however, does not prove that a word is permanently established. A word can generate millions of searches because people are confused by it, encounter it in a major news story, or see it suddenly become viral.
3. Cultural Relevance
Editors also consider what a word helps people describe.
A candidate may become prominent because it relates to:
- a technological development
- a cultural phenomenon
- changing social behavior
- entertainment or fandom
- an economic issue
- a major event
- online communities
- a new way of communicating
The strongest candidates often function as linguistic shorthand for a broader phenomenon.
4. Media and Public Visibility
News articles, broadcasts, websites, social platforms, books, and other forms of communication can show how a word enters public conversation.
This is where dictionary editors and language trends intersect. Editors are not simply looking for words that sound interesting. They are looking for evidence that people are actually using them and that the usage is meaningful enough to document.
5. New or Expanded Meanings
Language changes without necessarily creating a brand-new word.
An existing word can acquire a new sense, become associated with a new technology, or take on a specialized meaning in a new context.
Oxford’s 2024 language update, for example, included terms such as generative AI, prompt engineering, and training data, alongside vocabulary from science, medicine, and environmental topics.
This is an important part of English vocabulary evolution: language change includes both new words and new meanings.
How Lexicographers Choose New Words for Dictionaries
The process of selecting a Word of the Year is related to dictionary-making, but the two are not the same.
Lexicographers are the specialists who study and describe language. Their work involves collecting evidence, analyzing usage, defining words, tracking pronunciation and grammar, and determining how a term functions in real communication.
A simplified version of how lexicographers choose new words looks like this.
Real Usage Comes First
A word normally has to exist in actual language use before dictionary editors can meaningfully document it.
New vocabulary can emerge from:
- social media
- journalism
- science
- technology
- entertainment
- music
- regional communities
- professional fields
- everyday conversation
A single social-media post is not equivalent to established usage. Editors need broader evidence.
Evidence Is Collected
Lexicographers collect examples of words being used in real contexts.
This evidence can reveal:
- what the word means
- how it is spelled
- how it is pronounced
- what part of speech it is
- where it is used
- how frequently it appears
- which words commonly occur alongside it
- whether its meaning has changed
Large collections of real language are known as corpora. They allow editors to study vocabulary at a scale that would be impossible by reading individual texts one at a time.
Editors Examine Whether Usage Is Established
This is one of the biggest differences between a viral expression and a dictionary entry.
A slang term can become extremely popular for several weeks and then disappear. That does not necessarily mean it should receive a permanent entry.
Editors therefore have to distinguish a temporary spike from a more established pattern of language use.
The Meaning Is Carefully Defined
Once evidence is strong enough, editors need to determine exactly what the term means.
That may require separating:
- literal and figurative meanings
- formal and informal uses
- slang and standard uses
- regional meanings
- technical meanings
- older and newer senses
The dictionary entry must describe the language rather than simply repeat what a particular social-media community says a word means.
How Words Get Added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
The question of how words get added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is often misunderstood.
Merriam-Webster explains that its dictionary entries are based on substantial evidence of words appearing in published, edited text. Its famous “dord” incident demonstrates why multiple editorial checks matter. The accidental entry arose from a misread editorial slip and survived through several stages before the mistake was eventually discovered and corrected.
The lesson is useful: dictionary editors do not simply invent words and place them into a reference work.
A candidate word needs evidence that it is being used as part of the language being documented. Editors then analyze the evidence and construct an entry that accurately describes the word.
That entry may include pronunciation, grammatical information, definitions, usage labels, etymology, examples, and information about when the word was first known to be used.
This is why dictionary-making is better understood as documentation of language than as a permission system. Dictionaries record how language is used; they do not single-handedly decide which expressions people are allowed to use.
Why Viral Slang Does Not Automatically Become a Dictionary Word
The internet has dramatically changed the speed at which vocabulary spreads.
A phrase can appear in a video, become a meme, move across social platforms, and enter everyday conversations within days.
That creates a difficult editorial question: Is the expression genuinely becoming part of the language, or is it simply experiencing a temporary viral moment?
The distinction is important when looking at the latest slangs added to official dictionaries.
Dictionary editors may consider a slang term more significant when it appears consistently across different contexts and sources, develops recognizable meanings, or continues to be used after its original viral moment has passed.
A term does not necessarily have to become formal English to deserve documentation. Slang, informal expressions, regional vocabulary, and technical terminology can all be legitimate subjects of lexicography when there is sufficient evidence.
For example, Dictionary.com now documents 67 as a slang usage associated with internet and youth culture.
For readers interested in how informal digital expressions actually work, the distinction can also be seen in WorldlyVoice’s explanation of texting abbreviation usage and context, where the same abbreviation can carry different meanings depending on the conversation.
What Recent Word-of-the-Year Choices Reveal
Recent selections provide a useful snapshot of modern vocabulary.
| Organization | 2025 selection | What it illustrates |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary.com | 67 | Viral youth and internet language |
| Cambridge Dictionary | parasocial | Fandom, influencers and AI relationships |
| Merriam-Webster | slop | New language surrounding AI-generated content |
Dictionary.com’s selection of 67 reflects the speed at which internet slang can spread. Cambridge’s parasocial shows something different: an existing word can become newly significant because its relevance expands into contemporary discussions.
Merriam-Webster’s 2025 selection, slop, is another example of an older word acquiring a contemporary technological sense. Reporting on the selection described its modern meaning as low-quality digital content produced, usually in quantity, with artificial intelligence.
The three examples demonstrate why there is no simple formula for Word of the Year selections. One candidate can be a viral expression, another an established term with renewed relevance, and another an old word whose meaning has expanded.
Artificial Intelligence Is Changing English Vocabulary
AI is now one of the clearest forces behind modern vocabulary change.
Oxford’s language updates have included terms such as generative AI, prompt engineering, training data, and large language model. Its updates also demonstrate that vocabulary expansion is not limited to technology; science, medicine, environmental studies, culture, and regional English all contribute to the evolving language.
This creates two kinds of change.
First, completely new technical expressions appear because people need names for new concepts.
Second, existing words develop additional meanings. A familiar word can be adapted to describe an AI process, online behavior, or technological phenomenon.
For readers following broader technology vocabulary, WorldlyVoice’s discussion of generative AI and AI literacy in technology education provides a related example of how AI terminology is becoming part of everyday professional and educational language.
The Evolution of Modern English Vocabulary Trends
The evolution of modern English vocabulary trends is not simply a story of new slang replacing old words.
Several forces work simultaneously.
Technology Creates New Concepts
Computing, smartphones, social networks, cloud services, artificial intelligence, and digital entertainment have all required new vocabulary.
Social Change Changes Meaning
Words connected with identity, relationships, communities, work, and social behavior can become more prominent as society changes.
Global English Expands the Vocabulary
English is spoken and used across many regions. Modern dictionaries increasingly document regional forms rather than treating American or British English as the only sources of vocabulary.
Oxford’s updates, for instance, include material from World English varieties and vocabulary associated with different geographical communities.
Existing Words Keep Evolving
A word does not have to be new to become relevant.
This is perhaps the most important point for understanding Word of the Year selections. A dictionary editor may choose a familiar word because a particular sense, association, or cultural use became especially prominent during the year.
A Brief History of American English Lexicography
The history of American English lexicography is closely associated with Noah Webster.
Webster is widely regarded as a foundational figure in American dictionary-making. His work helped establish an American tradition of documenting English that reflected American spelling, pronunciation, and vocabulary.
Merriam-Webster describes itself as a direct lexicographical heir of Webster. After his death in 1843, George and Charles Merriam acquired rights to his 1841 dictionary and continued the publishing tradition.
Dictionary-making in the nineteenth century was very different from today’s digital environment. Editors worked with printed books, newspapers, quotations, correspondence, handwritten records, and physical files.
Today, enormous digital language collections allow lexicographers to examine vocabulary much more quickly and across far larger amounts of material.
That does not eliminate editorial judgment. It changes the scale at which judgment can be applied.
From Printed Dictionaries to Continuously Updated Language Data
Modern dictionaries are increasingly dynamic.
Oxford describes its language datasets as being regularly updated to reflect current English. Its 2024 updates added hundreds of new headwords, phrases, and senses across areas including technology, science, medicine, and the environment.
Dictionary.com provides another illustration of this ongoing process. Its current 2026 site reports a summer update containing 5,900 new words and more than 1,200 revisions to existing entries.
This matters because language does not stop changing between printed dictionary editions.
A digital dictionary can respond to new evidence much more frequently, although each publisher still has its own editorial standards and update schedule.
Word of the Year vs. a New Dictionary Entry
These terms are often treated as if they mean the same thing, but they describe different editorial decisions.
Word of the Year: a term selected because it represents something significant about a particular year.
Dictionary addition: a word, phrase, sense, or usage that editors have determined is sufficiently established or useful to document in a particular dictionary.
The two can overlap, but they do not have to.
Parasocial is an excellent example. Cambridge says the word entered its dictionary in 2023 after lexicographers observed it in news articles and social media. It was then selected as the Cambridge Word of the Year in 2025 because of its increased relevance and search interest.
That shows why a Word of the Year can be an older dictionary entry rather than a newly added word.
What to Expect From Future Word-of-the-Year Trends
As of September 2026, the latest completed annual selections discussed here are from 2025. Current dictionary activity in 2026 clearly shows continued vocabulary expansion, but 2026 annual Word-of-the-Year selections should not be presented as finalized simply because new words are already being added during the year.
Several forces are likely to remain visible in future language analysis:
- Artificial intelligence: terminology surrounding AI systems, agents, generated content, and human-machine interaction.
- Internet culture: rapidly spreading slang, memes, abbreviations, and community-specific expressions.
- Fandom: vocabulary describing relationships between audiences, creators, celebrities, fictional characters, and digital personalities.
- Global English: regional words and expressions moving into international communication.
- New meanings: established English words being adapted to describe unfamiliar technologies and social behaviors.
The important point is not to predict one future winning word. It is to recognize the mechanisms that repeatedly drive language change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do dictionary editors choose a Word of the Year?
They may examine search data, corpus evidence, usage trends, cultural relevance, media attention, and changes in meaning. Each organization has its own methodology, so there is no universal selection formula.
Does a Word of the Year have to be a new word?
No. A Word of the Year can be an existing dictionary entry that became especially relevant during a particular year. Cambridge’s 2025 choice, parasocial, illustrates this distinction.
How long does a slang word need to be popular before entering a dictionary?
There is no universal time requirement. Editors generally need sufficient evidence to document the word accurately, and the relevant evidence can include sustained usage, different contexts, geographical spread, and established meanings.
Does Merriam-Webster officially approve new words?
Merriam-Webster documents established language based on evidence rather than acting as an authority that gives people permission to use a word. Its editorial explanations emphasize substantial evidence of usage in published, edited texts.
Why do dictionaries add new meanings to old words?
Language users regularly adapt familiar words to new situations. Technology, culture, science, and social changes can create contexts in which an existing word develops an additional sense.
Are 2026 Word-of-the-Year selections available yet?
Not as finalized annual selections from the organizations discussed in this article as of September 19, 2026. Current 2026 dictionary updates show that vocabulary work is continuing throughout the year, but annual selections are generally announced later in the year.
Conclusion
The most useful way to understand Word of the Year Trends is to see them as evidence of how language responds to real-world change.
Dictionary editors do not simply search for the word everyone used most. They examine patterns: how quickly usage is growing, what people are searching for, where a term appears, what it means in context, whether an existing word has developed a new sense, and whether the language change reflects something culturally significant.
The same evidence-based approach explains how words get added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary and why a viral expression is not automatically equivalent to a permanent dictionary entry.
Recent examples make the process easier to see. 67 demonstrates the speed of internet slang; parasocial shows how an established word can gain new cultural significance; and AI-related vocabulary shows how technological change can create both new expressions and new meanings.
Ultimately, the evolution of modern English vocabulary trends is a mixture of invention, adaptation, borrowing, specialization, slang, regional variation, and changing meanings. The history of American English lexicography, from Noah Webster to today’s digital language databases, shows how the tools for documenting those changes have evolved alongside the language itself.
References
- Dictionary.com — “Dictionary.com’s 2025 Word of the Year Is…” — methodology and 2025 selection of “67”.
- Cambridge Dictionary Blog — “Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2025” — “parasocial,” dictionary inclusion, search interest, and language evidence.
- Oxford Languages — “Spring 2024 update” — new vocabulary, corpus-based language datasets, AI, science, medicine, and environmental terminology.
