Cambridge chooses 'parasocial' as 2025's word of the year

The word "parasocial," chosen as the 'Word of the Year' by the Cambridge Dictionary, has become the most searched and debated term of 2025. This word describes the illusory bonds formed with celebrities and influencers.

The word "parasocial," chosen as the 'Word of the Year' by the Cambridge Dictionary, has become the most searched and debated term of 2025. This word describes the illusory bonds formed with celebrities and influencers.

The dictionary defines the term 'Parasocial' as 'involving or related to a connection that a person feels with a famous person they do not know.'

Cambridge Dictionary editor Colin McIntosh stated that social media and artificial intelligence have brought an academic term into the mainstream, saying, "'Parasocial' captures the spirit of 2025. Millions of people are involved in parasocial relationships; many more are just curious about this rise."

Professor Simone Schnall of Experimental Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge noted that parasocial relationships 'are redefining the culture of fandom, the concept of fame, and the way ordinary people interact online with artificial intelligence.'

Schnall added that as people's trust in mainstream and traditional media decreases, they are turning to influencers, and this can lead to 'unhealthy and intense relationships' built with social media stars.

The dictionary also added new words related to artificial intelligence this year.

Among these are the term 'slop,' which describes the mass-produced, meaningless AI images and videos flooding social media, and 'memeify,' which is the act of rapidly turning an image into a viral meme.