Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
In 2023, the selection of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) Word of the Year (WOTY) was a three-step process. First, Oxford lexicographers and terminologists monitored and analyzed the 2.1 billion-word Oxford English Corpus (OEC) for trends. They looked for words and phrases that captured: “ethos, mood, or preoccupations of a particular year, and which have potential to provide a snapshot of social history through language”, alternatively that appear to “have lasting potential as a word of cultural significance”. A process that resulted in the selection of a Shortlist, comprising eight terms and phrases.
Secondly, the public was invited to vote for four 2023 WOTY contenders, out of the eight Shortlisted terms and phrases. Finally, the four WOTY contenders, designated the four 2023 WOTY Finalists, were submitted to a committee of expert Oxford terminologists and lexicographers for selection of the definitive 2023 Word of the Year.
Below, the eight Shortlisted terms and phrases, together with their definitions, four of which Shortlisted terms and phrases were voted contending Finalists, before submission to the committee of Oxford experts that selected the 2023 winner of them all: ‘rizz’. The contending Finalists (i.e., prompt, situationship and swiftie) appear starred. The expert-selected 2023 WOTY 'rizz', at the very end of the list, is underlined.
- beige flag (noun). A character trait that indicates that a partner or potential partner is boring or lacks originality; (also) a trait or habit, esp. of a partner or potential partner, viewed as extremely characteristic, but not distinctly good or bad.
- de-influencing (noun). The practice of discouraging people from buying particular products, or of encouraging people to reduce their consumption of material goods, esp. via social media.
- heat dome (noun). A persistent high-pressure weather system over a particular geographic area, which traps a mass of hot air below it.
- parasocial (adjective). Designating a relationship characterized by the one-sided, unreciprocated sense of intimacy felt by a viewer, fan, or follower for a well-known or prominent figure (typically a media celebrity), in which the follower or fan comes to feel (falsely) that they know the celebrity as a friend.
*prompt (noun). An instruction given to an artificial intelligence program, algorithm, etc., which determines or influences the content it generates.
*situationship (noun). A romantic or sexual relationship that is not considered to be formal or established.
*swiftie (noun). An enthusiastic fan of the singer Taylor Swift.
rizz (noun). Style, charm or attractiveness; the ability to attract a romantic or sexual partner.
References
Staff - Oxford Word of the Year 2023.
https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2023/
Staff (Nov. 27, 2023). Eight words go head-to-head for Oxford Word of the Year 2023
https://corp.oup.com/news/eight-words-go-head-to-head-for-oxford-word-of-the-year-2023/
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