Everyone is searching for this word: Here is the word of 2025

The Cambridge Dictionary has announced its word of the year for 2025. The dictionary has selected "parasocial" as the word of the year. Previously used in academic contexts, the word entered the Cambridge Dictionary in 2023 as it became more widespread in news and on social media.

WHAT IS PARASOCIAL?

The adjective parasocial is used to describe "a connection that a person feels they have with a famous person, book, film, or TV show character, or artificial intelligence that they do not actually know." The Cambridge Dictionary stated that choosing parasocial as the word of the year indicates a shift in how people express the bonds they form with their favorite celebrities.

Simone Schnall, Professor of Experimental Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge, emphasized that parasocial relationships are "redefining fan culture, the concept of fame, and the way ordinary people interact with artificial intelligence online." Schnall noted that as people's trust in traditional media has declined, they have turned to influencers, which can lead to intense and unhealthy relationships with social media stars.

NEW WORDS RELATED TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ADDED TO THE DICTIONARY

The Cambridge Dictionary also added new words related to artificial intelligence to the dictionary in 2025. These include "slop," which describes mass-produced and meaningless AI-generated images and videos that spread rapidly on social media, and "memeify," the act of turning an image into a meme.

PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIP AND PARASOCIAL GRIEF

A parasocial relationship (PSR) describes a connection where a person feels they know a celebrity on a personal level, despite never having met them. In 2025, this term was frequently used in relation to influencers, pop stars, and even artificial intelligence companions.

Parasocial grief refers to the sadness a person experiences following the death of a famous person or a character from a series or book. For example, Liverpool fans spoke of this feeling after the sudden death of Diogo Jota; meanwhile, One Direction fans used the term parasocial grief while trying to process their emotions following the passing of Liam Payne last October.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also stated in an interview with the BBC, "People are going to develop these slightly problematic, or even very problematic, parasocial relationships with AI. Society is going to have to find new guardrails, but the upsides are going to be massive."

News Source: 12punto